Wrong Shirt Wrong Shoes Wrong Turn: Many Problems
by Riley Killer
Summary: Zabuza/OC. Okay, it's bad enough I was hit by a bus, but now I have to take care of a zombie in the healing process, escape from random people with needles, and learn Japanese all at the same time? Sheesh! Could it get any worse
1. Zombies

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, but I do own Cass. She is MINE. –maniacal laugh.-

**A/N:** Alright, to those of you who read Research, sorry to say for the time being, this will be what I'm working on as far as Naruto. I have to do a little research on it myself since I've sorta drifted out, but as this is going Very lightly off of an rp from way back, and I do mean lightly, I'll be working on it now and then. I deleted the rp so my mind is sort of making this up as I go. Enjoy. **Also, this is actually the planned sequel to research. Due to the fact I had a few ideas, research should be done with in the next few days.

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**Zombies**

I felt cold as my body was wet and soaked, the first things I noticed as I had become conscious. Coinciding with those feelings was pain, my arms and legs, torso, and head were heavy with the burning in my body. Slowly I forced myself to my hands and feet, my black cloak I had been wearing soaked with the river water now in it. My brown shaggy hair as it laid down to my shoulders hanging down around my face and sticking to it.

What the hell happened? Was all I could ask myself at the time, slowly I stumbled forward only to fall onto the grass just tipping the edge. Gripping it, I noticed lightly the red of the cloud in my cloak that littered the black had gotten darker from the water, the white lining the clouds and curving artistically muddied and dirtied.

It was gonna be a pain in the ass to clean up. Shoving myself slowly to my feet again I felt my knees try not to lock up. Leaning backwards I nearly fell if not for the abrupt leaning forward making my feet come onto the ground again. Shutting my eyes I fought back a groan as the pain intensified but slowly faded into an ache.

Taking in my bearings I saw a tree line a few yards ahead of me, looking left and right of me I saw it followed the river down the horizon. Coughing a little as I inhaled I hunched over and grimaced as rain was pouring and thrumming against my head. My foot struggling to do so took a step forward only to collide with something. Looking down I stared at my backpack that was just as muddy and soaked as I was. Crouching down, my knees screaming in protest, I opened it slowly and looked inside.

There went my Computer Science and English books… groaning I rubbed my dirty face and looked up at the stormy sky before zipping the bag back up and pulling it onto my back, almost falling on my face from the weight. Looking forward I saw there was mud in my hair and almost groaned out of exasperation. Come on already! It was bad enough I didn't know where the hell I was!

My legs shook again and I fought back a hiss before giving up and sitting on the ground. My entire body was as wet as a drowned rat, so it wasn't like a little more was gonna affect me. Reaching up I frowned as I took note my glasses were still on my face. Quietly I thanked the Walmart gods known as Eye doctors for tightening them before I had headed to college.

Speaking of which… I looked around me again as I stared at my legs that occasionally shook when I tensed them. I had a feeling I was No Where NEAR campus… my head bowed in my thoughts and I crossed my covered arms, taking note how heavy the cosplay cloak I was wearing had gotten with the weight of water.

A shiver ran through me making me shake lightly before thunder roared overhead making me jump. I looked up and stared as lightening streaked across the sky before I jabbed my pointed finger up in the air at it, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" It ignored me, I ignored it. We had an agreement.

There was a buzzing and something shocked me making me yelp. Looking through my cloak I saw my cell phone was still in it's strapped position to my hip, grabbing it I was soon shocked again making me throw it in the air then I let out a loud curse as it landed in the raging river.

That wasn't something I was getting back… I lifted my cloak back from my sitting position though to check for any real damages besides the aching that was constant in my form. Slowly I found that there were various bruises on me and I had a good feeling with how it hurt, my head wasn't that pretty either. My glasses remained fine though as I took them off and looked at them, not a crack or scratch on them, but the wearer was soaked and had bruises all over.

I had a feeling when my father told me he ordered the pair that could last through my treatment that they were gonna be damn near indestructible. Judging from their condition, I was right. Kudos to my father for knowing me all to well.

Another shiver went down my spine making me make a small sound as I slowly looked to my left and right one last time, making sure I saw no point of civilization in the distance before I treaded forward. The weight on my back from my books making it all the more harder to walk. Five steps after I noticed this I stopped all together and ripped my bag from my back and opened it. The books themselves wouldn't cost to much, as the important stuff wasn't with my bag…

Slowly I extracted the large Microsoft Office 2007 Guide Book and then chucked it over my shoulder with a shrug before giving the same treatment to my writing guide for college. If I managed to find campus again, I would be able to get new ones… And if I couldn't find campus, there was no need for them, so why carry the weight?

With a lighter bag on my back I moved forward again trying to discern if anything around me looked familiar. As I entered the woods though, I found myself all to hard pressed to find a single thing that might help me find out my location. They were all large, and held nice big trunks that I probably couldn't hug; nowhere near where I was currently living had such things. So more confusion wrought through my brain causing my head to hurt more.

I continued walking in hopes of something that might give way to what it was, the trees giving me at least a little shelter before I leaned against one and had to slide down to the ground it was planted in for a small breather. Taking one last glance around me and finding nothing, I let my thoughts turn to before I had woken up.

A snippy little voice snapped lightly in my mind in response to this, _The one fucking day I decide to wear my goddamn Akatsuki cloak, THIS happens._ I gave a raspy chuckle at the voice; really, I hadn't worn the cloak since last June when I attended a convention in Sandusky, Ohio. It was called Collasalcon and though some shit had gone down in it, and friendships were broken completely apart, it was a fucking blast. But today I had worn my cloak for my Asian Civilizations class. So my professor knew exactly what cosplay was.

He was hoping to use it in our new organization, or to have me use it rather, and help advertize the club at the next arts festival that was going to be taking place on Friday. I highly doubted I would be attending though… as this entire turn of events was saying I wasn't going to be doing much of anything for a bit. At least till I understood what was going on.

I wiped my glasses off with my wet cloak sleeve and shoved them back onto my face before lifting my head up and leaning it against the tree. My eyes shut as I reached back in my mind before the river and waking up all groggy and wet. It was foggy before it came to me slowly and surely. I had been on my way back from the Astronomy building,

There was a loud sound of a horn that had blasted through my mind as I continued to track through the events and paused at this before all I could recall was being stunned and pain. My eyes snapped open and I slowly let out a breath before leaning forward frowning.

I wasn't sure…

But I think….

Did I get hit by a _bus_?

My breathing stopped before I leaned back against the tree and stared up at the sky before looking left, then right, then tilting my head side to side in thought looking the opposite way my head tilted in my thought. I was pretty sure I was hit by a bus. So if I didn't survive, and ended up here… well um…

Where the hell was here then? My breather over, I got to my feet and cupped my hands, my harsh and hoarse voice carrying as I placed my cupped hands over my mouth, "HELLO?!" There was no sound except the thunder rumbling distantly over head. Not moving my head up but my gaze moving to the clouds I glared lightly and grumbled softly.

"Stop taunting me…" Lightening flashed again and through the trees I caught something out of the corner of my eye as the light shot through the many leaves. Moving quietly except for the occasional crunch of leaves, I soon found myself standing in front of two large crosses. One held a large cleaver like blade behind it, while the other had a scarf wrapped around it, drenched in water. An odd feeling of déjà vu' moved over me. I looked down at what I guessed was two graves to see the dirt was freshly dug up.

And then I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise as the dirt in front of the massive blade began to move. It was sort of like the movie The Mummy 2 when a hand shot out from the grave and launched forward. I saw blunt dirty nails dig in and stepped back, tripping and falling onto my ass as the hand almost clawed forward. A shoulder followed, and another hand and another shoulder came after that. Soon a dirty head pulled up from the ground to and lifted.

My eyes widened and my heart pounded as dark brown endless pits made eye contact with me. Lips pulled back into a firm snarl before a hand came and launched onto my foot and then found the front of the cloak. My form shaking as I was yanked forward and we were inches away from each other.

He opened his mouth, his breath reeked, and he let out a cough before he spoke lowly with a baritone voice to me….

And I couldn't understand him, not a word. My mind paused for a moment and I blinked as we stared before his eyes slowly shut and mentally the situation went into slow motion to me as he fell so his face was planted in my stomach.

Thunder rumbled lowly over head as though mimicking the man before I looked back up, lightening flashed and the darkness of the storm was lit up making my eyes turn back to his form to see the many gaping wounds on his back. My eyes turned back to the face in my stomach and I fumbled for a sense of what just really happened here.

After I finally grasped an answer, I slowly nodded my hand and crossed my legs so his face was lowered and his head hung between the opening they now made. Fisting my hand and putting it on my open palm, I nodded my drenched head in confirmation of my thought's conclusion.

_Zombie._

The thunder gave a boom making me jump again and I looked at the form that was dirty, and soaked, not as much as me, but still soaked and slowly frowned. I looked around before back down at him. Now what the hell was I supposed to do? If he was zombie he was going to eat me. And if I was dead, well he very might well be one. I slowly grabbed his form and began to pull. For a dead guy he weighed a ton!

I managed to get the rest of him out of the dirt though and laid him on his side, his breathing was shallow…

Did zombies breathe? I shrugged lightly and then tensed up my lip in thought before looking around me and then back at him. If he was dead, and now alive, and I was hit by a bus, and I was here, was I a zombie too?

Blood was coming from him making me curious, but as I reached to his neck and felt a pulse, I paused.

Zombies didn't have pulses.

_Well Shit!_ The snippy voice proclaimed, I frowned as the lightening striked and thunder came seconds later, _Now what the hell do we do?

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**A/N: **And that's the first chapter! Not that long, short, and sweet, depending on the contents will depend on how long the chapter is. So I hope you tell me what you thought, keep in mind this IS a comedy.


	2. Naruto Hell

**A/N:** Alrighty! Thanks to **grahamsmoon** and **wolfsredfalcon **for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not Own naruto nor am I making any money off of this project. This is simply for entertainment. Nothing more.

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**Naruto Hell**

Zabuza Momochi, age 26, let out a groan as his body was in a massive amount of pain. His breathing soft and eyes slowly opening to look around him weakly. He couldn't recall what had happened…. Oh yes…

He had come back from the dead it seemed. Digging himself out of his grave only to find a person sitting in front of it. He had grabbed a hold of them and demanded for them to find help…. A stupid thing to do at the time. Quietly he stared around the decrepit wall in front of him, he felt warm though the air was very cold and looked to see an old moth eaten blanket around him.

He heard a small hiss and he looked immediately over his shoulder and flinched, staring at the small figure that was curled with another blanket around her. Clothes all around her that were wet and laid out flat to dry. He noticed her form shaking now and then and found himself thinking of a small pitiful rabbit.

Pain panged through him at the thought of a rabbit and slowly looked around. His eyes narrowed and a growl exiting him softly, "H-Haku." He watched her slowly look up and then around and then back at him. She opened her mouth and then shut it before slowly whispering something he couldn't understand. He took in her form, athletic, small, stocky…

Tilting his head he frowned, she looked about 18-19. He ignored it slowly though and brought a hand up, he waved his fingers towards him and then shifted, moving up and then feeling pain. She was beside him with in moments, naked as the blanket hung open. It wasn't her form that caught his eyes though as lightening flashed through the cracks of the walls.

Her right shoulder was scarred horribly. He stared wide eyed as she stood on her hands and knees beside him, searching his back, sitting up and the blanket falling. His eyes narrowed as he got a good look at it. What attacked her? Some sort of animal? He let his eyes move to her face and saw her gazing over his back. He raised a brow and grunted. Her blue eyes flicked up behind glasses, then looked over to a case. He followed her gaze, staring at the box.

An old first aid kit. Slowly she helped him lay back down before he opened his mouth, he hoped she understood at least a few of what he said. "Water…" He hissed, he saw comprehension go through her eyes and she moved to her wet clothing, yanking on her pants and t-shirt, leaving her underwear and bra behind, he pulled on strange shoes before moving outside back into the storm.

The jonin stared at the ceiling quietly, trying to understand what was going on fully. She had… helped him, he wasn't quite sure about it. But he wasn't dead… and she was concerned about his back. He felt a small feeling go through him as he recalled Haku's helping him. Slowly he gritted his teeth and a hand raised to his face as tears began to break through. He heard footsteps outside and tensed, feeling pain rip through his back making him hiss as the door opened slowly.

She stood slowly over his form with a bowl in hand, it was a wooden one, she crouched down and held his head up, her hand was shaking… he opened his mouth and the ice cold rain water came down into his throat making him gasp and swallow it. Relief went through his mind and when he shut his mouth she brought the bowl away.

Moving back towards the blanket she had abandoned he grunted and watched her pause, then move back over to sit by his side. Staring down at him now he watched looking up just as interested in what was in front of him as she was. The quiet held before he slowly shut his eyes again and memories of his old tool flooded back. His hand clenched tightly and his eyes shut before he gritted his teeth and fought back a snarl and howl of agony.

A hand came down onto his shoulder very lightly on one of the wounds. He let his eyes open and saw her lips pull into a frown as they stared for a few moments before she brought a hand up and rubbed his face lightly, then brought her hand away. He scoffed, looking away from the lighthearted creature beside him.

"Fool."

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For a few moments all I did was stare at him as he looked away from me with a scowl. My eyes traveled back to him and then I began to push and shove on his arm. His eyes narrowed and he looked back at me before grunting as I get a loud groan as I pushed him onto his stomach. After he'd rolled over, he slowly picked up his head and glared at me.

I fought back the chill that went down my spine, those eyes were scary personally… moving over and grabbing the blanket again I proceeded to take off the wet clothing again. There was no need for modesty in the midst of survival… and I sort of lost that trait a while ago… I didn't care who saw me naked now… it was my body. And I thought I looked pretty damn good in it.

I pulled the dry blanket around me again and ignored as he had a brow raised and his breathing soft. His hand slowly came forward and he stopped, hissing. I simply stared for a few moments before I grabbed the bowl and then moved slowly over to the box. My body shaking as the cold was affecting the bruises I had. God this sucked. Slowly I managed to fill the bowl again and turned to move back towards him. I had to… I had to clean the wounds more.

He looked up at me as I let the first bit of water drip onto the stitches, hisses exiting him and his hand coming up, digging tightly into my thigh making me grunt as those blunt fingernails dug my skin. He remained tensed but slowly relaxed and looked up at me. There was a glare in those eyes still but he slowly nodded giving his approval. When he was asleep this was much easier… but…

Well he was scary.

The snippy voice came back and then mumbled very softly, _Scary? This guy's from the world of the Dead! Where we should be!_ Yes… we should be dead, if I was correct in thinking I got hit by a bus… I bit my lip as I moved outside again and let water drip down before returning. He was watching me closely now, his lips pulled into a simple line and his face holding a very unpleasant scowl on his face.

The blanket hung from my shoulders and he stared up for a moment, I followed his gaze to my scarred shoulder and then slowly opened my mouth, "Two years ago I was attacked by something." He looked at me now, "I don't know what it was." He opened his mouth and responded.

Internally I sweat dropped… I had no idea what he was saying, and he had no idea what I was saying. Wonderful. Falling to my knees when I came to him, I began to let the water move over his wounds again, he still had his pants on, which had been dry from the dirt, lucky devil. Gently with my fingers I began to brush away the dirty that had formed from his make shift stitches… I didn't think I did a bad job.

He said nothing and simply planted a hand on my nude thigh I tried not to slip away from. My mind going into autopilot as I moved to the door again to refill the bowl before coming back to him.

He needed to see a doctor, I was no physician, my medical skill was basic and zero. His eyes were placed on my face as I supposed what was a very grim look held to it strong. Looking back down at him I raised a brow and then splashed the water onto the other bit of him before his arm snapped around my waist. I paused to stare at him now and slowly he lifted himself making me grunt.

He sat back on his knees, still towering over me in his sitting position now, and hunched forward, head bowed for a few moments. His hair and eyes were brown and his jaw was slim but strong. He opened his mouth and I blinked.

Pointed teeth.

My shoulder panged and I let out a hiss, hand coming up and grabbing it tightly. Most of the skin had become scar tissue, I couldn't feel anything but every now and then there was a sensation that ran through it.

That made me feel scared. I shut my eyes for a few moments and began to breathe softly after getting myself under control. A weight was placed on me and I grunted opening my eyes and staring as his blanket, the bigger one had been dropped on my head. Pulling it around me I didn't try and guess why he did that, I merely kept to myself and opened my eyes slowly to watch him.

He was inches in front of my face making me yelp and fall back then scramble backwards. My back hit the wall as my heart pounded and he simply continued to watch before glancing over his shoulder, no doubt at this back, before slowly struggling to his feet. "No Do-" He reached his full height with in seconds.

And then he held a wide eyed look and his mouth opened to let out a, "Guuh…" Before he fell. I launched forward and my body caught his own with it, shutting my eyes as the weight came down I then proceeded to pause holding tight to him.

"You're kinda… light." I looked at him for a few moments, my own body was at 142 lbs. 138 if I was having a really good week. He couldn't have been more than 160 though. I let my eyes travel down his ripped form, the muscle clinging to bones and his skin wrapped all to tightly to them like a shirt that just showed all details of you.

_Yummy._ The snippy voice hissed, I ignored it bluntly and slowly laid him on his side. Grabbing the blanket I pulled the small one around me again and then began to put the big one on him. His hand shot out and grabbed my hand tightly making me let out a gasp at the pain. His eyes held mine though with a glare that made me shiver down to the bone, and it wasn't the cold that influenced it. Slowly I pulled the larger blanket on myself and he pointed at my cloak on the wall.

I stilled in thought, then slowly nodded getting up and stumbling to it, I found it still wet, and looked at him with a frown before he shook his head and beckoned for it again. Slowly I grabbed hold of it and brought it to him. Fumbling with his hand, he brought his fingers in front of his face and he held a look of concentration. I watched water form in a bubble above my cloak before it was thrown into the bowl to the side. He then looked at me and reached up.

Yanking the blankets from me he nodded to my cloak, which I grasped and tugged to me. Pulling it on I stared quietly at him as I found it dirty, but clean at least. Slowly I zipped it up and stared at him in wonder. How in the hell did he do that?

He said nothing, not like it would have mattered even if he did, and watched me as he held the blankets and curled himself into them. We studied each other now both in a slight curiosity as to what the other was thinking, I think at least. This continued before he finally rolled over with his back to me. Taking his lead I let myself lay with my back to his.

Something about him was greatly familiar to me, and I didn't know what it was exactly. The bandages around his neck I had used to wrap his arm wounds after I had cleaned them, and I had left the headband on his head that held part of his gravity defying hair at an odd angle alone. I had noticed the familiarity early, but of course paid no mind to it.

Slowly I moved onto my back and shut my eyes as I was continuing to think. The heat from his back soft and not intense, meaning he didn't' have an infection which was wonderful. I sensed his gaze on me for a moment before there was slight shuffling.

I curled up into a ball and moved to my side, my feet hiding with in the folds of my cloak for warmth. He was familiar to me, he sounded familiar. I couldn't understand a goddamn word he was saying though and that frustrated the hell out of me. I bit my lip lightly, where was the translators when you needed them?

No, better yet, where was a doctor when you needed them? _Doctor Doctor help me please, doctor doctor I beggin' on my knees!_ The voice stated happily, I shivered lightly before shutting my eyes and then shaking my head. It was annoying. But it seemed to have an idea of what was going on. Or rather, it knew as well as I did that our troubles were indeed a little…fucked up.

What I would give to know what was going on right now with the man behind me. The pang in my shoulder happened again and I shivered before I shut my eyes and shook my head lightly. The fucking thing was acting up again, it only did that when I watched Naruto.

….Naruto. I rolled onto my back again and then sat up, slowly looking at the man beside me and then moving so I hung over him staring at his face. Slowly he opened an eye at me, showing a clear annoyance at my action before I sat back on my knees and then pointed at myself, I wouldn't use my real name… well… if I was dead…

Why not? "Cassi." He slowly looked over to stare at me before letting out the equivalence to a growl making me almost shiver before he slowly growled, "Momochi, Zabuza." His voice husky with the Japanese accent and no doubt lack of water. My mind went still for a moment though after hearing this.

I got hit by a bus. And landed in Naruto?

What….the fuck? I hadn't watched the stupid show in ages, I had lost interest some time after I went to my third Ohayocon and from then on I simply wore my Pein or Itachi cosplay now and then when I went to minor cons.

Like Colassalcon. That was fun, small, and much less regulated than Ohayocon. Slowly though I continued to watch the man before leaning back and sitting on the floor, my hands came up and wrapped around my knees while I leaned forward to bury my head in them.

This was talking about the impossible. Though if I was dead… I leaned my head back and stared at the ceiling of the rickety shack and shut my eyes before falling back and putting an arm behind my head. Rubbing my face and then dragging my fingers up the side of my head through my hair in what I thought was to be a 'male like' fashion, I considered the possibilities. Lying next to me was a dead man. Or at least, he was supposed to be dead…. He wasn't dead.

I got up and hovered over him again only for his arm to come up and wrap tight around my neck. My arms gave, I fell on him and he stilled as his eyes screwed shut. I was causing him pain, oh shit. I squirmed to get off him, trying to get as much leverage with out pulling touching him before he moved again. My form straddled his side, I shivered as well formed muscles twitched and tensed underneath me. His arm still tight keeping my head next to his mouth before he murmured something harshly into it. His warm breath roasting it before I was thrown from him.

Rolling to the side, aching all the more I looked at him and crawled back, moving over him and then laying with my back to him again.

I knew that narutards used Naruto heaven sometimes.

But right now I think I was in Naruto HELL. _Well, Atheism bites you in the ass again._ The snippy voice was almost gleeful at this fact. Shutting my eyes and shaking my head I ordered it to shut up, which it did so, surprisingly. It was oddly more obedient than my mind…

I shrugged it off as I looked ahead of me and felt utterly exhausted. My eyes got heavy relatively fast, before I gave my body over to rest.

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Zabuza simply stared for a few moments at the limp form behind him, the girl's chest rising and falling easily, then curling. Her large neck band gave him a good view of her skin and he slowly shuffled over towards her, rolling and being careful not to rip anything, the process of it was painful enough, before pulling back the neck band of the clown suit jacket she wore of sorts and stared down at the bite.

He hadn't been sure at first, but he was recognizing it fast. Those teeth marks were true blue shark teeth marks… and for her to have them and be alive. His eyes flicked to her bruised up face and then back to the marks before he slowly sat up and pulled the form up and against his chest, leaning over it to stare down.

He didn't want to know what the old man had to do with this girl. It wasn't his concern, the fact was though he owed her and that much he didn't like. She was at least warm in her cloak now, and he could see that as she all to easily curled up and made a soft sound… he scowled at it and found he in no way enjoyed it or found it cute, and slowly he placed her back on the ground before laying with his front to her back.

The old man had something to do with her, but he should be her main concern now. One, he could tell she was foreign, and lost, she was definitely lost. Two, she seemed as confused and curious about him as he was of her. He didn't really want to know of her personality, but of why the hell she would help a dead man out of a grave and stitch him up. She wasn't a charity worker was she?

Grudgingly shoving an arm over her stomach so he would know if she went anywhere he shuddered at the thought. He hated charity workers, but he highly doubt she was one. She was no shinobi, her physique was off and her body wasn't toned for it. He could feel it, so what the hell was up with her?

He felt no chakra too, yet her chest was rising and falling as she slept on, her brown hair covering part of her face and glasses. She was clearly alive.

What the hell Was she? He slowly moved closer to her warm back, the blankets didn't quite do it for him and this little annoying creature was far better than them when it came to warmth. So opening them he pulled her in with him before letting them fall again. His mind then turned back to his task ahead of him.

The first part he had to do, was survive. He shuddered at the thought of it, he was telling himself to survive but the pain in him from his loss of Haku said that would be a little difficult. The second part, was to pay back this annoying creature in full for saving him.

Though if he didn't survive, he supposed he wouldn't have to worry about it. Sighing his face buried into her dirty hair unwillingly and he groaned in annoyance of having to put up with such conditions, but in his current state, he couldn't be to choosy about who took care of his wounds.

Even if she had no idea what the hell she was doing.

Shutting his eyes he let this thought move away as he began to drift to a very light sleep as well.

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**A/N: **Alright, let me know what you all thought and such, I like the input cause it sort of helps regulates the line of the story.


	3. Exhausted

**Disclaimer: **I do not Own naruto nor am I making any money off of this project. This is simply for entertainment. Nothing more.

**A/N:** Thank you to **Wolfsredfalcon and Xiaahandrus **for reviewing.

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**Exhausted**

Now, I may not be the most outdoorsy person there is in this world. But I considered myself now a days a little all right when it came to being outside. I mean after I had a break up with my last boyfriend, I had started to go out more and more….

But I really… Really… HATED Camping. I mean, if I went with my best friend/ non related family member Kris and I went with her, that was fine, but here.

Now.

In this rickety old shack, with Zabuza Momochi, a psychotic killer who was glaring at me every moment he was awake, only to stop to tell me to get water now and then. I was finding my tolerance level for being outside slowly (quickly) shooting down to zero. Particularly because it had yet to stop raining. And my clothing had gotten ants in them. Making me of course soak them again to get the drown fucking insects out, and now they were hanging up to try.

I could only wear just my Akatsuki cloak for so long. After all, I liked Clean clothes best. Shutting my eyes I sighed as I let my head lean back and thump against the wall. The shinobi up to his own devices as he was searching through my backpack for the umpteenth time today. Occasionally finding a pen, pulling it out, staring, then shoving it back in.

Really now, he was getting better, which was good for him. But I didn't know if it was good for me.

I stared at my toes and wiggled them in my frustration and boredom. All I wanted to do right now was curl up on a bed, and go to sleep. But any padding there was I gave to the wounded man sitting not five feet from me. Looking him up and down I wondered how comfy he might be.

Providing he didn't throw me off him again. For someone who was supposed to be hurt he was still awfully strong. Slowly I leaned forward, my back cracked multiple times and I turned, laying flat on the ground in which it cracked again in my lower back. Letting out a sigh I started to stare up at the ceiling in thought before quickly popping back up and resting a hand on my crossed legs.

I was getting old and I didn't like it. I had aches and pains in places that just annoyed me, I think my hand had arthritis, my neck would hurt now and then, and my lower back…. That's where it hurt the most… and no matter what I did, I couldn't ever crack it.

…which sucked. Shutting my eyes the thunder rumbled over head and I let out a very low breath. My hands clenching at my sides and then one coming back behind my head in my annoyance. Looking over at Zabuza, I saw he was now laying down on his stomach and his hands braced. He wasn't… was he?

He did a full push up.

He was, the idiot. Slowly I shut my eyes and heard a grunt, then watched him fall onto his front and simply glare at his arm. He had three expressions so far from what I could see. Scowl, glare, and grimace. Usually he was doing the second. I would to if I was wounded and stuck in this rickety shack.

I was just stuck, so I was bored. Slowly I looked up at him to find him glaring to the side at me, but it was a different kind of glare. Slowly his face moved back into that neutral expression. I decided to approach him now. He didn't move as I finally came to his side, sitting on my knees and looking down at his wounds. They were still pretty bad, despite my stitching handy work. Slowly I let my hands move over one of them and looked at him quietly seeing him do nothing but turn his head and gaze at me.

Those brown eyes were still endless, and it boggled my mind but bugged the hell out of me at the same time. My hands splayed gently as I began to feel for hot, red, and infected. When I was done, checking his arms as well, I sat back and sighed lightly crossing my arms and watching him.

The quiet continued before he slowly groaned and moved to sit back up. I watched him hunch and winced as his stitches pulled. He only grimaced again before sitting up straight and turning to me. Now we just stared.

_Testing, one two three, testing. Okay! Microphone check! Sound! Check! Subtitles…. MAYDAY! MAYDAY! I HAVE NO SUBTITLES! THERE IS LACK OF COMMUNICATION! GOING DOWN! CRRR AAAH! SHHHHH! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE! CRRRRSH! HUSTON!_

_We have one Major problemo._ I sweat dropped as the snippy voice finally stopped and shifted lightly looking back up so we made eye contact. I slouched lightly and he shoved my shoulder making me sit back up. I glared lightly at this and remained slouching.

He glared now. Slowly I fixed my posture; he gave a nod of satisfaction. After a few moments, I lost my posture again and he began to scowl once again. I sighed and shrugged, I couldn't help it, I sat in front of a computer or in a desk all day and my back just screamed for me to remain slouched.

I missed being able to sit up straight with out being uncomfortable. Which was only when I was driving my truck back at home. Too bad I didn't take it with me to college.

_To bad you got hit by a Bus!_ The snippy voice laughed. I gave a soft growl of annoyance and looked to the side. The fucking thing needed to die; it hadn't been this active since I had gotten out of the ER after my attack.

_Oh quit bitching, I'm more conversational than this big thug._ I sighed softly and shut my eyes leaning my head back and then slowly looking forward again. He was staring at me oddly making me frown. The quiet held a few more moments before he reached forward and touched my right shoulder.

I flinched away from his hand immediately and placed a hand on the scarred piece of flesh, rubbing it instinctively. I didn't like attention to it, but I didn't really care either. Slowly he looked past me and then outside, before looking back at me, he beckoned me closer and though I reaaaally didn't want to. I complied and shuffled forward. Looking at the dirt floor he began to draw, I followed his gaze and blinked.

He drew out a scarf, two crosses… the grave sight. He circled the scarf, he wanted it apparently. I looked up at him before he pointed at me, and then pointed outside. I looked out towards the pouring rain and then back at him, "….You want me to go get the scarf from the other grave?" He slowly stared at me, eyebrows furrowing as though saying, _"I don't understand you, you idiot."_ Before he nodded slowly. I sighed and bowed my head, then scratched the back of it before lumbering to my feet.

Grabbing my socks from above on a rafter I checked them for bugs then pulled them on before dropping the cloak and hanging it and pulling on the wet clothing. He watched me with interest as I yanked on my pants and shirt, before finding my sneakers and shoving them on. Opening the door I looked out in distaste before looking back at him. Showing him my expression I Clearly did not want to do this.

His own saying he Clearly didn't give a shit. Silently I exited and let it swing shut behind me.

_Men.

* * *

_

He had watched her leave with a simple look before he slowly leaned back against the wall. His eyes lidded and his breathing soft. Really he didn't expect her to get it, but she was a little smarter than he guessed. He knew for a fact though that if he kept sending her out in the rain she'd get sick. He shut his eyes, he didn't really care. But it would be a pain in the ass to have to stay in one place for long… speaking of which.

He looked down at his body then at his clothing. Filthy from laying in the dirt, and being buried, disgusting from not being washed… he looked at the cloak hanging up, then slowly at his pants. He began to take them off immediately.

Once he was rid of the disgusting pieces of cloth, he grasped hold of the cloak, yanked it down, and pulled it on himself, zipping it lightly. It reached his knees while it reached her ankles, and he had no doubt it was made for a man as he was only a little snug inside it.

Yes people, even Zabuza Momochi had a dirtiness limit. And he had reached it. Slowly he looked up at the absence of her footsteps and slowly shut his eyes. He couldn't track her by chakra, cause she had none that he could sense, and he didn't really like that either. Moving to his feet, and using the wall, he managed to move himself closer to the door. Disgust filled him at the same time of his moving, the weakness the wounds had brought him annoying, but he refused to crawl right now.

He slumped beside the door once he reached it and sat quietly for a few moments. He shut his eyes and then exhaled. She was getting Haku's scarf, retrieving it for him because he couldn't. Stubbornly he shoved his head up but then slowly lost the will to before letting his head bow again. His hand coming up to cup his forehead as Haku's face flashed through his mind. He had failed him, Zabuza had failed him.

He didn't deserve to live, he really didn't… but he had a debt now. He gritted his teeth in rage and slammed a fist against wall behind him… it gave out, his feet pressed to the ground and grabbed the bag she had with her, he launched backwards and slammed against a tree, his eyes widened, pain ripped from his back, and he let out a low growl. Slumping he felt the warm liquid of blood move down his back, great, he was getting blood on the cloak.

Slumping he stared ahead, his vision was getting fuzzy…. Slowly he let his vision go black before he began to drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

I let out a low breath as I was coming back; the rain had thoroughly soaked my ass. I shut my eyes tightly following where I knew the shack. I blinked how ever as I came across a thing of rubble. I paused for a moment, then launched forward, grabbing the wood I began lift and throw, checking out what I could before slowly pausing and something was in the corner of my eye.

There he was….

In my cloak. I twitched but then ran to him, not seeing if he was breathing before I got there and grabbed his shoulders. I shook him, "Zabuza!" He didn't stir, I checked his breathing and then my hand came to his back, I paused as warm and wet reached my senses. I slowly frowned and reached around in my pockets then towards him. What the hell could I do? Standing up straight I frowned, and then let out a soft breath.

He reopened his stitches…. I reached up an grasped his chin. "Zabuza…." He breathed softly but didn't respond to me. I then grasped his shoulders and shook him, "Zabuza! You lummox! I can't move you as well if you're unconscious! Wake up!" Still nothing. Worry began to fill me before I thought about it. He was….

Zabuza was at least a jonin rank right? It was risky but…. My hands slammed out onto his shoulders in a way of an attack.

It happened quickly, I felt pain in my chest and then he was on top of me, eyes widened and his breathing soft. A blade was against my throat, his hand kept both of mine up and pinned to my chest. Shutting my eyes I breathed and arched my neck. Slowly he became aware and we studied each other. He moved off me, laying on his chest and starting to cough. I shut my own eyes and slowly sat up and rubbed both my wrists before sitting forward and looking at him.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly grasped his arm, watching his eyes widen. With a groan, I used the strength in my back and lifted. I thanked that his body was so light… he glanced at me while I grimaced before I used my other hand and took the folded up scarf from my pocket. Slowly he took it nodding.

We began to walk. It was slow, unpleasant, and smelly… very smelly. He had pulled and led me with simple pressures to my neck with his arm where it had slung over it. I looked at him slowly and he looked back as we had gone deeper into the woods.

Then we reached it, I stared wide eyed at the cabin before slowly taking the naked, bleeding, barely conscious man, except for my cloak, and moving to it. He used a little more effort of shoving me ahead before pointing to the left. I saw the glint, and reached down, grasping the key before pushing back up with a loud groan.

Unlocking the door, we both stumbled in and I used both arms around his waist to keep him up as my legs were about to give up. His foot came and shut the door with a kick, it was much warmer in here…

I was starting to feel sooo sleepy…

_Stay away woman!_ The snippy voice snapped, I felt a little push in my mind and my eyes opened a little before I stumbled towards the plastic covered couch. He all but moved and collapsed on it, then proceeded to tear my cloak. I watched as the zipper broke from the rest of it and he tugged it off, throwing it to the side.

I was too tired to care, and given where I was, it was for the best more than likely. Leaning forward I put my hands on my knees and studied the damage. Then the blade in his hand. Prying it from him I moved about searching the cabinets before finding a pot.

I had a lot of work ahead of me…. And I really didn't want to do it. Slowly looking over at him, I saw him looking back at me before shutting his eyes. Did he trust me? I slowly moved forward after finding water and putting the pot on the stove to the side. Then starting it. I needed to sterilize the blade…

I knew how to cauterize a wound… and it wouldn't be pretty. I would have to keep him from moving too… he wouldn't like it. I knew this already…

Once again.

I was too tired to give a shit.

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**A/N: **Alrighty, give suggestions if you wish, drop a line and tell me what ya thought of the chapter. See ya next time ^^!


	4. Pain

**Disclaimer: **I do not Own naruto nor am I making any money off of this project. This is simply for entertainment. Nothing more.

**A/N:** Thank you to **breezy034, Wolfsredfalcon** and **zabuzasama26 **for reviewing!

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* * *

**Pain**

The smell of burnt flesh was memorized into my memory as I pressed the sterilized heated kunai directly onto the wound. A snarl came from Zabuza before he quieted as I continued to cauterize the wound. My breathing went into autopilot and it was steady and easy. I inhaled as much as I could and then exhaled, the smell burning my nostrils before it disappeared and became unnoticed to my mind. I could focus more on my task.

Once I took the blade away and studied the wound, wincing at what I saw, I shoved it back into the boiling water to my left then slowly looked back at my patient. I crouched down at his face and stared at his grim face before I slowly reached forward and cupped his face. He stared back at me for a few moments with a firm scowl. His eyes said for me to get my hands off him but I refused for now.

He looked… hurt, not physically, but emotionally. I remembered what I could about him before frowning myself and then bringing my hands down to him. His pain reminded me of what my own had been like, losing someone so close to you, that you told your deepest secrets to them.. spent all your time with, thinking that the sun shined out their ass every day of the week... and then losing yourself in misery and anger when they were finally gone.

I shook my head making my short hair swish side to side before shutting my eyes and getting back to my feet. I stumbled back to the stove and then grasped hold of the kunai, before putting it back on the stove burner. It had been clean… this whole place except dust had been really. I waited a few moments while it soon became red hot before grasping the rubber handle. I could feel it the rubber start to coat my fingers, it was melting…

I winced as it burned my skin before looking around and finding a rag to the side on the counter. Moving to it then grasping it, I soon wrapped it around the handle before returning to his back. His eyes followed me now as I began to place his flesh together, my eyes traveling to his face. His teeth gritted and he gave a feral grimace as I placed the blade back down. His arm came out and around my hips pulling me close and his nails bit the back of my thigh again.

Could he have just grabbed hold of the couch instead of hurting me again? I let it go for the moment due to the fact he was already in a massive amount of pain, and that this was almost fair…

Well, no not really, it wasn't my fault he ended the up the way he did. I moved the blade away again and looked from the two holes that I had now burned shut to the rest of them that were stitched closed. I sighed, as there was nothing else left to cauterize before slowly stumbling back. I turned, the weight of my exhaustion hitting me once again while I turned off the stove and let the blade fall into the pot of water before I looked around. I should probably help him to a bed… but with his back so bloody…

* * *

His back was screaming, what the hell type of doctor was she? Cauterizing his wounds!? Really?! He opened his mouth to snarl something at her, to show his displeasure (even though he knew there really wasn't much of a choice) before he paused. His eyes narrowing and his mouth shutting immediately as he stared at the state of her. She was several shades paler, and her breathing had gotten considerably lighter. She walked towards him, and then sat down with her back to him leaning against the couch.

He stared silently for a few moments before he watched her head slump forward and her breathing steady out…. The little thing tired herself completely out. He considered his options, but his own need for a rest was clouding them. Deciding slowly that he didn't much care, though if she died he wouldn't be able to fill his debt, he simply let his head turn and rest against the plastic furniture covering before letting himself start to go to sleep as well…….

He woke up to hear her groan, his eyes turning as he watched her lift to her feet, stumbling ahead and then her legs buckling once she reached the stove. On her way down she hit the handle connected to the oven and he almost chuckled in amusement before blinking as she made no sound but rose back up to her feet slowly.

So she did have something of a pain tolerance, it was a good fact to know, an even better one since she was staying with him for the time being. Watching her stumble back he let his arm come out slowly and wrap around her waist, yanking her down onto the couch as he turned slowly, all to slowly, onto his side.

Her eyes turned to him and she tensed, he watched her eyes move to his back and he almost glared as she began to try and push him back onto his stomach, it was painful enough, she didn't need to worsen the matter. He grunted as she ignored this factor though and slowly he obeyed. His arm still keeping her captive though so she had to shift to the edge of the couch.

He felt her shiver because of the contact though and he let his gaze come to her face, he blinked as he got a smile and a wave of hand, then a grimace as she shivered again. Slowly he maneuvered his other arm and yanked her down making her let out a yelp. He watched her squirm in his grasp for a moment before he turned slowly once again and yanked her against his chest.

She was cold, she might have the beginnings of hypothermia…. He could be wrong though, he was no doctor. He knew that Haku had one time gotten sick from being out too long…

He shook his head of that thought and while keeping an arm around her, let his arm reach over head, his eyes widening as pain ripped through his back in a warning, before he let his arm drop slowly and tapped her hip where his hand rested. She looked at him in response immediately.

Slowly, he gestured for the basket in the corner, she murmured something but got up slowly. Her body moved sluggishly as she grasped it and returned to him. He watched her pause though once she reached him and look over his body quietly. She looked away while handing him the basket. Did she just take notice that he was naked? He dug in the basket then threw a black cloth to her.

* * *

I stared at the soft black cloak that was in my hands and slowly looked at him before he beckoned me again. I sat down with my back to him before he tugged on my shirt. He wanted it off? What the hell? I glared at him now, quickly getting up and moving away from him, before his hand on my shirt tightened. He gave a roll of his eyes before I was tugged forward toward him.

I caught myself before I fell on him, eyes shutting as another wave of exhaustion was coming up through me. I bit my lip lightly before looking down at him while he stared up. My eyes widened as there was a flash and my t-shirt was torn up the center. I opened my mouth, "Uh….uh?" I instinctively dropped the cloth and covered my chest and bra. I then grunted, noticing my bra had been cut too. "What the… hell…?" I looked up at him feeling almost violated before I felt a shiver run down my spine again.

He tugged on my shirt again and I was whipped around by the yank as he easily stripped me of the cloth before his arm came around me again and yanked my ass back onto the plastic covering of the couch. Shutting my eyes tightly I waited for the worse before something dropped onto my head.

I opened my eyes slowly to see the black cloth hanging down from my head, covering me. It was a folded blanket, a big one at that… slowly I looked at him and then frowned before pulling it up and around me. He gave a satisfied grunt and reached under the blanket tapping my thigh.

I had never really stripped for a man by order, and really I wasn't quite sure I wanted to do it again, but soon I had the wet clothing on and was curled into the blanket laying on my side beside him, back to him. I felt him turn to his side as I felt another shiver go through me before his arm rested lazily over my stomach. Looking up I stared at his face before trying not to laugh.

He was grimacing, as well as scowling; he didn't want to do this any more than I did. It was a feeling that brought me a little satisfaction as well as amusement. Slowly he looked down at me and glared making me duck my head into the blanket, trying to hide more into it. There was no sound from either of us now except for the noise that was caused by our quite breathing.

I couldn't believe this, but given that I was starting to warm up little by little, the shivering getting less as the clock in the corner on the wall continued to tick, I found myself a little thankful for it. I curled my toes, lifting my feet so they soon were inside of the blanket before shutting my eyes. I was still so tired….

I realized I was using his arm briefly for a pillow before I had fallen back asleep.

* * *

Zabuza Momochi.

Killer.

Theif.

Nuke-nin.

Demon.

_Baby sitter?_

The 6' 0" foot rogue couldn't quite believe he was allowing this to happen, but due to the circumstances (meaning he couldn't Move much) he didn't have much of a choice. He had meant for her, once she had the blanket around her and her wet clothing off, he was going to redirect her to the bed in the back. He knew he would be fine here but…

The little bitch laid down beside him instead. She was good… real good. He stared at his arm, which was starting to fall asleep at least 10 minutes into her slumber. Slowly he shifted it and moved it away from her, rolling so his back faced her. Deciding this was stupid, as well as leaving him rather defenseless, he rolled back to the uncomfortable position and stared at her again.

His hand came up, his eyes squinting in the pain as he rubbed his face and then let his head come down and rest into her neck. He inhaled and then grimaced… she like him…

Smelled. She definitely needed a bath. And from what he could guess, so did he. He shut his eyes and then slowly let out a low breath before letting his arm come out and rest against the top of her head. He wasn't happy with having to be this close to her, or having to watch over her like this. At her age she should know how to take care of herself as well as defend herself.

He let out a low breath against the back of head before deciding after a few moments that she was a rather pain in the ass. A foreign little no nothing with a nice face and a little bit of knowledge in the medical field.

A 'good soul' that he just didn't know what to do with. Something he didn't like the most, considering he was in debt to it. Growling lowly he let his arm lay back over her covered and curled form before shutting an eye as she squirmed backwards and curved her back to fit to his chest while he was pressed slightly to the back of the couch. She stilled soon enough though and he glowered at the form as it continued to lay against him now.

_Brat._ He let out a low breath, arm curling to her though and his muscle flexing, the wound tried to open and he let out a hiss as the stitches held before he grudgingly let the weight of it fall fully on her. She didn't move for a few moments before relaxing completely into it, turning onto her stomach and laying with her face on the blanket for cushion.

He supposed it would be convenient for later, so that way she didn't wake up with her face against the plastic and stuck to it. He shrugged to himself, wincing as it pulled at the wounds again before inhaling. The smells of the burnt flesh in the air making him almost shiver, as the knowledge that it was his own left him obscenely uncomfortable.

Haku would never have had to burn his wounds shut… he never would have allowed him to move so much that could happen though either… He shivered and then relaxed with his head resting against the back of her own, the smell of dirt, sweat, and blood, most likely his, filling his nose. She wasn't Haku, but that wouldn't stop him from expecting her to be better than she was. He let the arm that was moved around her curl so it rested beside her face lightly lifting his head to study a little more.

Part of him wanted to slit her throat, the demon, for helping him. For digging him out of the grave, for tending to his wounds… being here. Another part of him was to curious as to what caused her to do so, as to what made her think she had to do those things for him. It wasn't like anyone else had before that hadn't worked for him. The demon brothers hadn't, and Haku only did so once he was trained and Zabuza had taken him into his care. There was no 'emotional' care taking nor was there anything but physical care.

It was a reason he couldn't stand women for anything but the usual animalistic needs. Sex. And that was it, and even then he liked to bring out their deepest feelings, rough, hard. He enjoyed a female feral and angry underneath him. He liked to dominate when they were at their best.

And it always ended with a silent understanding that the woman would leave with her tales and cash, and he would leave with a sated appetite. No emotions really attached or affection for him or him for her.

This brat held no emotion for him, he could see, in fact….

She was quite annoyed in taking care of him. And he didn't know why she was doing so if that was the case. It bugged him for her to in fact. He had never seen any reason to go out for anyone but himself, and yet here this little nuisance was, attempting to help him, trying to take care of his wounds while also seeing him in pain made her instinctively try and take that pain away from him….

It gave him a headache to intemperate why someone would do something like that, and even more of one to try and figure out what a foreigner was doing with out a shinobi escort of sorts. Because surely he would be dead by now if she had one.

Was she ordering them to stay away? His eyes flicked up and around before he laid still again and let out a low sobering breath. No, he would have felt them. This one was alone, and that bugged him a little. It was to naïve to think that someone sent her to him, he was guessing greatly their meeting was purely coincidental, but he could still feel Haku.

It was possibly the fact that he hadn't gone with him that was making the boy's scent and presence move through his head again and again. He just wasn't used to the fact he wasn't dead yet… and he wouldn't be for a long long time. Biting his lip he shut his eye before tensing up. He forced himself to relax, as the pain in his back became a reminder of what could happen if he didn't stop moving.

Zabuza wasn't one to be grateful for something as small as the girl that was laying beside him, so he wouldn't be thankful for it, but he was going to accept that she was there. After all, there wasn't much he could do about it since he owed her.

For right now he would just have to grit his teeth and bare whatever annoyance she brought his away… though right now he supposed she wasn't too bad. Sharing the body heat with her was almost relaxing as he was warm and he could tell by her lack of shivering that she was getting there as well.

Then again though, she wasn't awake.

And talking to him.

Letting out a soft sigh he shook his head and let it relax on his hand as he pulled it from the top of her head and rested it under his own. Letting his gaze move up and down her form he looked at the back of her head and frowned.

She was a naïve little cretin. Which would make keeping her safe and repaying his debt all the harder when he was up and moving again. He supposed though he 'd put up with that too until he got so angry that he removed her head from her shoulders.

She might surprise him though. After all, everything she had done so far was incomprehensible to him.

Why should she stop that now?

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**A/N:** Alright! Tell me what you thought and feel free to give any suggestions. Hope to see you next chapter! I'm off to bed now.


	5. Outside

**Disclaimer**: I do no not own Naruto, so there you have it.

**A/N:** Thank you to **Xiaahandrus**, **Breezy034,** and** Wolfredfalcon** for reviewing.

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**Outside**

It had been three weeks since I had gotten here. Or, at least I thought it had been. Really, when all you had in your company was a homicidal maniac that was constantly getting depressed, you lost track of time….

Unwisely leaving me to my thoughts. And oh boy, did I have some random thoughts. For example. Where were the black shinobis? Everyone in Naruto I had seen was white, with the exception of Kisame, who without his odd pigmentation, I would think would definitely be white….

So where the hell were the brothers? I heard Zabuza bustling around; it was odd to see him walking so confidently with stitches and burns on his back, around before he sat on the couch across from me as I was leaning back against the wall with my arms crossed. I felt his gaze and looked up at him.

Another image popped into my head, this one of what he might imagine me thinking, with my simple gaze and bored look… while inside I was imagining packman chase after ghosts. I bowed my head as a grin pulled at my lips making me shut my eyes and my chest jiggle, yes folks, jiggle, in my silent laughter. Really what could I do? We had been stuck in this cabin for his recovering, which was a slow and grueling process…

I twitched as he was scowling in my direction and sent my own annoyed glare back; after all, it wasn't my fault he was in the condition he was. Well…. I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling in thought. His Back's current state might be my fault, but it was healing up! So… I looked at him to see him still scowling at me now and stuck my tongue out at him with a, "Neeeh."

His eyes widened and he blinked a few moments before leaning back against the couch and bringing his arms up to rest on either side of him. His legs out in front of him, needless to say he had spare clothes lying about, which was what I was wearing now. But I'll get to that in a sec. And spread. He always spread his legs when he sat. He was most comfortable like that I think, and to wonder. He bitched about my posture but here he was slumped slightly.

Slowly I leaned forward and let out a soft breath before shutting my eyes and stepping off the wall. I was wearing rather baggy clothes, his I think, as the pants that were tight around my hips from using a belt, were baggy and covered my feet completely while the black wife beater I was wearing was relatively loose. Looking around the cabin I frowned, I also didn't know if this place was his, or if we robbed some poor guy. Then again, frankly, I didn't care.

I actually thought it would be a little nicer if we robbed someone, let them be miserable for a change.

I tripped over his foot on the way to the bedroom. Whether his foot was there when I had first began walking will be up for later debate though. Letting out a low hiss I hit the floor rather hard, catching myself on my arms which locked and kept me from falling. Painful, but easily manageable. I then slowly brought my legs up, sitting in a crouch and shutting my eyes.

Really. I wouldn't be lying if I said I wanted to go home. Getting back up I began to move before a calloused hand caught my wrist. I looked over my shoulder to stare at the man that was looking back with a lidded gaze.

_Oh, you know you want me._ The snippy voice had forced a husky tone imitating his own, and I could feel a grin on it's beings lips, _you want me so bad that you want to straddle me right here on the couch, in my horrible hypocritical posture, and run your nails down my back, causing us to spend even more time here._

I tried not to laugh while I tugged at my wrist only for his hand to tighten on it. Glaring lightly at him I slowly turned before seeing him lose some ferocity in his own. Good, cause I didn't want to be the one to potentially kick his ass.

_Cheh, yeah. Right._ The snippy voice wouldn't even let me have a thoughts of satisfaction. _Not a chance honey._

Little bastard.

I studied his face now, then sighed and sat down next to him feeling him pause while my head bowed and my hands rested in my lap. Slowly I leaned back and let my head fall onto the back of the couch before I shut my eyes.

A hand grasped lightly on my shoulder and I opened an eye staring slowly at Zabuza who looked at me quietly. His face blank. He always gave a blank face when he was thinking about something. We never talked, except for me shouting out obscenely at him at moments to my liking when he ordered something, or him pointing and stating what ever it was in Japanese and me bringing it to him.

Honestly, I didn't know what to do.

He slowly sighed and looked away, I did to, letting out a low sigh before bowing my head and shutting my eyes. I jus wanted to bash his head in, maybe a little at least. I was human, we had a tendency to feel that way, so sue me. I fell over onto my side away from him and shut my eyes. Each breath I took softer than the next before I was curling on the still plastic covered couch. I could go to sleep right now… but I was always sleeping. I rolled onto my back and propped my knees up so my legs didn't cross his lap and rested my arms behind my head.

What did one do with a ninja that was sick and the caretaker they themselves were slowly going into madness, for the mere reason that it would bring them out of boredom. I think I would be a fun crazy honestly…. A hand grasped my front and I groaned as I was yanked up. He was looking at me with that critical gaze again and I returned a lazy half hearted completely bored look back in return. Slowly he let go of me and I fell back, before he let out a low sound and nodded.

He got up, my eyes followed him and a brow rose. What was he doing? Slowly he threw something at me and I stared at the cloak as it hit me. Pulling it around me he pointed at the door while grabbing a large staff… a walking stick.

I ran to get my shoes on immediately. Fuck yes we were going outside! I had never been so happy over something so simple in a very long time, but just being able to go outside brought me a joy that was so intense that I wanted to dance… I didn't for dignities sake, at least for the moment.

Once my shoes were on, the socks too, I looked up to see him slowly taking his time and putting on his own leg warmers and shoes before thumping quietly towards me and I let him move past me, opening the door. I stepped out before he shut and locked it behind us. He was always wearing a rather baggy cloak of sorts, and he had covered his mouth again…

Honestly I didn't understand why but it wasn't my place to, so I let it go. The fresh air though was so wonderful, and nice…. I smiled happily as it filled my nose, we hadn't opened any windows, he wouldn't let me. (Meaning each time I tried to do so, something blunt was thrown at my head.) So this… this was a relief in itself. A hand planted on my head and I looked up smiling never the less, he stared for a moment and I blinked as something caught the corner of my eye, before he continued ahead of me… did he just…

I think he did.

I think he had smirked, with the bandages, I couldn't quite tell. Letting out a small sound I continued after him and felt a little like a duckling following its mother. Except Zabuza was no mother duck and I was no duckling. I smiled happily and almost skipped behind him but stopped the enthusiasm as he looked over his shoulder at me with an almost questioning gaze. Slowly I frowned but shrugged and smiled looking around again.

There was a sigh from the man, no doubt I was the ditz in this situation but I just couldn't help it. I trailed behind him like a happy little puppy and shut my eyes before letting out a low breath. I ran into his back and he immediately let out a loud groan. I backed away frantically and stared at him wide eyed before covering my mouth with wide eyes, "I'm sorry!"

He gave a withering glare over his shoulder at me and then whipped his gaze back ahead. The silence held before he reached down and grabbed my wrist, starting to tug me along beside him. I almost tripped over my own feet in the process of following him and bit down on my lip in an attempt to focus before looking over and around me, then back ahead.

Where were we going?

The hand clenched lightly on my wrist again before I looked at him to see him eyeing me now. We stared before he leaned forward and sniffed me. I inhaled and immediately covered my nose backing away from him grimacing while his face showed clear displeasure. Just like when I had cauterized his flesh, we had gotten used to our own smells…

We needed a bath…. Desperately even. I watched him turn around quickly before I followed his long strides. As slow as they may have been due to his back. But the thing that was bugging me the most right now was that I hadn't noticed the greasiness of my hair.

_That's because taking care of the bastard is a full time job._ The snippy voice grumbled. This was true, and annoying at the same time. My hand came up and I felt my hair before grimacing immediately. He seemed to be as well before he pulled through a group of brush. I looked at him then looked over him at the mass of water in front of us.

It was beautiful…. I didn't mean to sound sappy, but really it was. The waterfall cascading from the rocks down to the lake below. A few rocks making it splash out. Greenery all around… I shut my eyes and took a moment to memorize the scene almost… and then I was falling.

I hit the water and stared up in annoyance, as only one thought was moving through my head in the process of sinking down. Soon I kicked back up and let the air exit me before I broke water. Breathing in I watched him as I waded in the water before he beckoned me to shore.

_That bastard pushed me in._ Slowly I came up, heavy clothes from the water on me before I glowered up at him, then grabbed his wrist. I tugged… and he remained standing with a raised brow. I simply let go and crossed my arms…

That wasn't fair…. I sighed lightly before he shoved something under my nose and I grasped the brown cloth casing and watched him strip his clothing. He looked at me with a blank stare then at my clothing before staring at me now.

Oh come on! He already got me out of my clothes once!

I heard the snippy voice gasp, _how shameful!_ Rolling my eyes I fought back the urge to tell it to shut the fuck up kindly, only for it to cackle as it could tell what I wanted to say anyways. I cursed its existence before Zabuza was making his way back to me. I raised my hands, "Fine Fine!" I snapped, he stopped half way there before I began to pull the shirt from over my head and heard him let out a grumble turning and moving back into the water. His back was looking better at least….. I felt my pants and underwear drop, followed by my bra before I grasped hold of the small brown thing he gave me and followed him in.

He simply glanced at me before pausing; I looked back with a raised brow, what could possibly make him stare now? His eyes moved slowly to my shoulder, then I immediately turned covering it with my hand glaring at him. He immediately glared back at me before moving forward and grabbing my wrist. Startling me I shoved my hand forward and made contact with his chest. I watched him fall backwards and sink into the water.

Glaring slowly up at me from the depths, he disappeared into them.

Uh oh….

I bit my lip lightly staring down at my own reflection in the water from where I stood and shivered before something brushed against my stomach before an arm shot out and wrapped around it. I let out a yell before I was yanked underneath the water then up. I let out a gasp as we broke from the surface and I dug my nails into his arm. There was a grunt then a low chuckle before I glared over my shoulder up at the bastard.

He plucked the brown bag from the water before it could float away, an arm strapped me tightly to him making me let out a soft hiss before he dug in the bag and pulled out two rags and a bar of soap. His face turned down to me slowly as I stared up with a very frown. There was a chilly wind making me shiver. His voice rumbled as he spoke through his chest and I stared up at him again. His gaze said it though I didn't understand his actual words.

It was that dark cheerful tone that my mind held as it translated.

_….bath time!

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_

**A/N:** And that's all for this chapter, I'll see you next one and hope to hear what you thought in the mean time.


	6. Bath Time Gone Awry

**Disclaimer: ** I only own Cassi, and if I owned Naruto, Zabuza would not have died….. Not sure about Haku.

**A/N:** Thank you to the lovely **Xiaahandrus** and the ever-faithful **Wolfsredfalcon** for reviewing. Hope to hear from you both real soon. And all you other readers. Lemme know what the hell ya think and I'm still open for suggestions.

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**Bath Time Gone Awry**

Everyone was a little fucked up, I knew this all to well. We all had that one fascination that just pinned you down, and you had to look into it. You just HAD to be obsessed with it for a period of time. For some people, it was history, for other's, it might be a sport. A song. A show. It didn't matter. We all had that one thing that always brought out the little gremlin in your mind and made you jump around inwardly, and make you feel all sorts of ways.

Me for example, it had always been sex. By the age of 9 or 10 I had started watching porn, not because I was such a horny little girl, but because I was fascinated. Seven years later, I would still watch it, but for my writing. There were many ways to stay a virgin, but write like you were experienced. Many, Many ways. And don't think I'm lying. I may not act like it, but in the back of my mind, something perverted was always going on.

It warped my views a little, for another example; I think prostitution should be legal. It's a service, and many times, a choice. I do not agree with forced prostitution though. But the 'normal' kind I guess it's labeled, I have no disagreement with, as long as there is no pimp involved. I myself have considered it several times. But then again, I'm a pervert, so it comes with the territory.

Now, the only reason I'm touching on this, is because I noticed Zabuza was almost obsessed with how clean he was. After rubbing down a washcloth and giving it to me, which I had proceeded to also clean almost every inch of my body with, I had begun to watch Him. After all, to much movement might open up his wounds and I didn't want to have to drag him out of the lake. I could, of course, but that didn't mean I _wanted_ to.

And even though I was watching him, the back of my mind definitely proclaimed him a yummy sight. The snippy voice of course was going to say something towards this but soon had agreed with me. So while I watched him, I observed as he used the soap not once, but eight times, on his skin again, and again.

In an almost frantic way nonetheless. I too, have had that odd 'must scrub myself clean' moment, but that soon ended when did a full once over with a washcloth. I had never scrubbed to the point that my skin was starting to turn red.

I opened my mouth when he didn't stop even at that point, and the snippy voice stopped my voice in my throat.

_Well if you were the reason your friend was killed, wouldn't you feel dirty?_ I paused and continued to stare at the man that was bringing the rag gently up his arm and then over his shoulder before descending down his chest.

Yes.

I suppose I would.

Slowly I moved from the rock I had been drying off with back into the water. His head which had been following the cloth shot up and he looked at me immediately as I moved to where the water rested lightly just above my belly button. I stopped there and he looked at me before slowly looking to the rock, then back at me, before raising a brow. I continued forward before I reached him then took the rag from him.

We stared at each other for a few moments before he reached for it and on one foot I hopped a few feet back. He glared immediately and I stilled staring at him before tensing lightly. His glare remained before he shoved his hand out and gestured for me to give it back. I slowly shook my head and pointed to his deltoid where the red was fully starting to show. His eyes turned to it and then he looked back at me anyways with a glare.

He wanted it back anyways. He still wasn't finished… I walked backwards away from him towards the shore and he continued silently after me before I was on the shore. His eyes flashed and he lunged forward. I let out a yelp and dodged to the side as he missed. We stared for a few moments as he landed on the ground on his stomach then back at me. Getting to his feet I heard him let out a low growl before a hand grabbed my upper left arm and began to pull me with him. I dug my foot in only for him to glare back.

I didn't submit as he forcibly drug me into the water as I began to kick and let out a snarl. He simply ignored me moving to water at waist level before he let out a low growl and snapped something in Japanese. I turned my gaze to him in an angry glare before he jabbed his thumb behind him at his back then turned it to me. He turned his head so he could see me now though before pointing at the cloth then his back again.

I simply looked at the cloth before looking back at him then slowly recognized what he wanted… I hated being an idiot some times but I was already a little stressed out here. Shutting my eyes I dipped the cloth, used the soap he shoved at me and then let it come onto his back. Slowly I began with a small frown…

I really hope this didn't hurt him.

* * *

Her hands were firm, clumsy, and anything but nimble. Zabuza watched her face ignoring her form's nude state as he saw a look of almost forced utter concentration on her face. She probably wouldn't even notice if he made a clone and had it clean her own back. He wasn't going to, but it was just that was how focused she seemed.

He felt her brush over one of the stitches and tensed, he saw her immediately flinch away and then he fought back a chuckle. A scared little thing… scared or cautious. He wiggled his finger, coaxing her back in. After all, he had to get his back clean some how, or else an infection was more likely to appear. Shuffling forward, he watched her start again with an uncertain look as though telling him, 'alright, but it's your own damn fault…'

He could live with that.

He'd just make sure to hold her under the water a little longer than necessarily if it came to causing him pain again though. He turned his head slowly back ahead and shut his eyes allowing his senses to spread as she continued to clean his back now. The cabin that they were staying in wasn't his per say. But it had been an associate's from when he was back in Kiri. They never used it though, or he didn't think they did. From what he heard before he had died the man had gone missing.

Fighting back a shrug he listened through the quiet air, only disturbed by the female behind him's heartbeat and breathing. The slight splash of water coming when her light clumsy grasp lost the cloth in the water now and then. He heard nothing for a while aside from that and then chanced a glance back over his shoulder at her.

She had stopped, and he didn't know why per say, but she was staring off at something to the left of them. His eyes followed her gaze before staring at the snake that was slithering in the water by them. She had stopped breathing and was tensed up, she didn't want to get bit he took it. He chuckled lowly and grabbed the creature, watching it immediately lash out and miss them both before he threw it off in the distance.

She looked up at him in surprise and he stared back, her glasses on her face holding slight water drops before he reached up and grasped them, taking them away. The response was immediate and she lunged for them. Holding an arm up he ignored as her chest slammed into his elbow and she fell backwards into the water, coming up moments later coughing and gasping.

If she was above the water, she could keep herself from drowning, if she could stand, she could hunch over to help the coughing stop.

In other words.

He wasn't concerned in the least bit as he examined the eyewear then looked through them. Her eye sight wasn't that horrible… slowly he handed them back to her and she took them with a glowering look his way which he returned with an annoyed one. She rubbed her chest lightly in between her breasts where his elbow had hit and he watched for a moment then looked up at her face.

He slowly turned and stood over her eyeing her curiously. Did she think he would not rape her? Or that she did not tempt him in the least? Did she think she could defend herself if he decided he wanted to do something?

Her eyes moved up and flashed and he paused for a few moments. His hands ascended and moved to the sides of her head and his palms rested on her temple. Tipping her head back he studied her eyes before letting his hands drop by his side. Her head moved forward and they stared for a few more moments before she moved away from him wiping down her own rag with the bar of soap he had brought with.

Her arm bent awkwardly behind her and up her back before she began down the spine of her back and let the cloth rest on the back of her hand before moving it back and forth. She was soaping down her own back. Amused as well as interested he watched the process as she let the cloth followed down to her lower back and then switched hands. Reaching over her shoulder now she got the top part of both shoulders but just missed the middle of her back. Assuming the same awkward position with her arm again, she proceeded to just reach the middle and proceeded to shove the cloth's soapy tip against it. Then let it drop.

He caught his rag as it was thrown back to him before she dunked under the water and disappeared from his sight. For a few moments he only followed the unnatural ripples and bubbles that popped up randomly before she appeared a good five feet from his left. Soap still in hand she began to scrub it on her hands, then once lathered, up into her hair.

Rolling his eyes, he turned away from her, _women_. He began quietly to look around the lake before up at the waterfall and to where he threw the snake. They weren't native to this area that he knew of, but he could be wrong. Rather being safe than sorry though he approached his female companion and grasped her by the back of the neck. She tensed underneath his grasp but he shoved her head underwater anyways.

There was struggling before he yanked her back up, soap now absent from her hair from her thrashing before he was dragging her by the arm again out of the water. She let out a snarl and something equivalent, as he had heard her yell it before, to an insult. He twisted his head, giving her his best-heated glare before she shut up.

Nodding his head in satisfaction Zabuza continued his tread up before grasping the pair of pants he wore on the way here, then yanked them on his still wet body. With a nod to her clothes he let go of her and watched her soon pull on her underclothing with a grimace, then the shirt over her head. Her glasses becoming a skewed before the pants he had given her followed.

Satisfied, once she had her shoes on and his sandals were back on his feet he turned and began away quickly. He didn't worry about her running, after all, where else would she go?

* * *

I ran after Zabuza as he was doing what I could only guess was a quick get-a-way. My eyes wide and my heart pounding with adrenaline. What the hell brought this on?! I tripped over a root and let out a yelp as I hit the ground before soon shoving back to my feet and scrambling after him. He didn't even bother looking back to see if I was alright. The bastard.

_It's not like he gives a shit about us ya know… _The snippy voice mumbled dully. I simply ignored it before soon reaching with in a foot of him.

And then hell broke lose. I let out a gasp as he whipped around, hand grabbing my front and yanking me forward. My front made contact with his chest and he tensed, I saw a blade in his left hand while his right rested on my hip and my form in between his legs. I think even the pounding that was my heart in my chest went silent in that one moment.

My ears picked it up before my mind registered though.

Where were the practical sounds of the forest? My thoughts were broken up how ever by the weightlessness that entered my form as Zabuza jumped backwards and up into a tree, I opened my mouth to ask why against his chest when the hand around my waist lifted to my head. It squeezed lightly and it said exactly what it wanted to.

Shut up.

So for the time being, I did. I shut my eye as the arm drifted back down around my waist, light but firm all at the same time and shut my eyes slowly rested my head against his chest. He stopped and flinched, I felt his gaze before I opened an eye and slowly looked up, he simply continued to stare down before looking back ahead from his spot on the tree. There was still no sound and it was very annoying to me… woods were supposed to have sounds.

We moved then, I clutched to him and he tightened his arm grimacing around me. His kunai in hand shooting out and the clinging of metal on metal hitting the air. My eyes widened as he landed and dropped me to the ground. Grabbing another blade moving behind me. I let out a yelp and immediately looked up before his hand flashed in front of me and grasped hold of the blade that had flown down.

He had two now… he looked at me and then glanced at the tree behind us jerking his head he disappeared in a jump. I launched backwards and soon hid in the roots of the tree, nestled beneath it and staring around slowly before up. Here I was hiding like a coward…

Not really much I could do about that at the moment, if someone was throwing knives how the hell would I be useful? I slowly leaned back against the tree and heard snarls from Zabuza and then more clinging of metal on metal. I shut my eyes and slowly forced myself to relax before a scream was heard through out the air. My eyes snapped open as it was committed to memory and I scrambled up and out of the hole.

I stood up and immediately froze at the image before me. I wasn't sure what it was at first, but it was deadly and angry. The man I was staying with was on top of another man. This man was holding the head of a woman while trying to fend Zabuza off. This man also had pointed teeth, and a feral look on his face, before he turned his face and looked at me for a moment.

I didn't know who the fuck he was, or what he was doing with that woman's head but I wasn't sure I wanted to find out. I looked up immediately at him before he dropped the head and lunged forward. Shouting at the top of his lungs in Japanese. My eyes widened and I began to back away immediately while hearing Zabuza shout out.

_Take the ring off!_ My eyes flashed around immediately in confusion as my back hit the tree, my form was shaking and the form was getting closer and closer, _Let me OUT!_ The snippy voice finally screamed into my head, my fingers found my ring on my dirty and wet hand, I shuddered lightly but felt panic floating through my mind all to easily. _Drop and pull woman, Drop. And Pull! Cassi Stop Fucking AROUND AND LET ME THE FUCK OUT!_

So close…. They were so close. My hand came to my class ring on my right hand, I shuddered and immediately yanked the ring off with a twist and pulling in the process. I fell to my knees as something wooshed from me like a massive gust. I stared wide eyed as air congregated and formed before my eyes with in seconds and the man in front of me caught the being flying towards me.

It had taken seconds for him to stop the chaos in my mind, mere seconds for him to get a hand on the situation, as his mouth opened and fangs pierced into the already blood covered shinobi's throat. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder and then an arm around my waist. Zabuza pulled me against his chest, which I instinctively moved closer towards. My hand clenched tightly over the silver and onyx ring that I had been wearing on habit every day since I received it in the 10th grade.

Slowly the limp form of the shinobi dropped, and the vampire turned towards us, blood dripping down his throat like a demonic waterfall and his red eyes lidded. His hair which was usually short in my mind was now long and tied back in a ponytail while his bangs and front of his hair were shaggy and unkempt. His long brown trench coat held rips and tear in them and on his back, strapped by a brown belt across his chest, there was a long double bladed scythe that flashed and almost spoke to me in a greeting whisper.

I slumped back against Zabuza as I felt unconsciousness and shock over take me. When I woke I would be able to say what happened, but right now. All I could wonder was how something that had been in my head since the eighth grade, was now physically standing, covered in blood, in front of me.

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**A/N:** Now you've read, and now, if you please, review. I'd really like to know what you all think and what suggestions you might have. I'm not gonna beg ya too though, so one way or another, I'll see ya all next chapter.


	7. Mordicus

**Disclaimer:** I only own Cassi, not Naruto, I own a mac, the music on my i-tunes that are playing (sorta) and the anger that's probably gonna come my way from my roommate for playing it at three in the morning. But hey. She said she didn't care if I played music.

**A/N:** Thank you to the wonderful** Wolfsredfalcon, Bashoulover, Xiaahandrus**, and **Kobukat** (glad to see you back!) all for reviewing.

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**Mordicus**

The air was clean and fresh except for the stench of the killer rapist's blood that was on his form and in his mouth. A mild bitter taste to it, unpleasant, yet addictive all at the same time. His form felt so weak when he had exited but now he felt all right… his eyes hurt though… the sun was causing a massive amount of pain to go through him.

Fumbling around in the many parts of his brown duster, he soon pulled out the particularly dark sunglasses and slipped them on. His breathing low and easy before he looked around and then back up at the sky with a face filled with disdain.

He missed his old decrepit church and grave yard already, but soon he would go back… for now…

Mordicus supposed he would enjoy being outside his creator's body. He let his eyes drift to the right towards the man that was holding the creature who had thought him up so long ago, and then back up towards the sky. Shutting his head he lifted his nose to the air and inhaled deeply…

It might be the last time he got to, though he highly doubted it. He opened his eyes and slowly let his head level back ahead of him as he stared at the woods than surrounded him before turning back to the two in front of him. The male he saw tense immediately as he began to walk towards him slowly. His eyes lidded behind his glasses before he crouched down a good five feet away and his fingers interlaced.

He looked down at his clothing then up at the creator with a scowl before standing to his full height again. The poor wounded shinobi flinched away as he appeared in front of him with a simple woosh of air. The vampire grinned.

He could get used to this really… but for right now, he supposed he would take care of his other duties. He moved down to scoop up the young woman before pain blossomed into his head. He stumbled back, cranium tilted back as the long arrow like blade stuck from it before he reached up and grasped it.

Extracting it from his skull, he stared at the kunai with an upset stare before looking back at Zabuza who stared back with wide eyes and reached for another blade.

"Oi!" His voice rang out, young, but an adults all the same time. He glared, "Knock it the hell off!"

Another kunai hit him in the head and he growled lowly yanking it away, feeling his skin patch up immediately and glare slowly at the shinobi before scooping the female up against his chest. He reached to her hand and grasped the small ring from it that it was so desperately wrapped around before his hand shot up and grabbed hold of Zabuza's. He slowly looked over his sunglasses at him and gave a very clear audible growl.

He wasn't surprised when he got a hissing snarl in return from behind the bandages the bastard wore. Slowly he released his hand, keeping the smaller form cradled in his arm and turning. The shinobi was about to lunge before he turned back to him with a whip of his coat, "Fine!" He watched the smaller male, only by a few inches mind you, jump back.

Grabbing hold of her under the arms, he held Cassi out like a cat, "You wanna hold her that badly, here!" He shook her lightly, very lightly, in gesture.

He watched as she almost disappeared from his fingerless gloved hands instantly and looked at them slowly before looking back at her as he had laid her on the ground. Checking her before soon pulling her up again. The baka didn't have enough strength to keep a good grip on her for the moment… slowly he sighed and then shook his head. His own sneakered feet thumping against the ground as he moved forward, towards, and then passed Zabuza.

"Well let's move then." He stated aloud, trying to get his meaning to carry in his voice. He had no patience for people really… shoving his hands in his pockets he followed the way they had come, having watched from behind her eyes.

The woods were nice, but the nice field he had to stare out in his level that laid in her head was always so much more relaxing. Nothing quite calmed him like sitting on top of an old broken window sill with his feet on the ledge of a church tower that had once been a castle. Bricks and parts of it falling apart, and already fallen. The graves quiet and nothing but his own thoughts to accompany him. His voice carrying in the wind that would come through with her own thoughts and carry them to her own conscious.

He was the 'snippy' voice as she called it… he just wished the other's talked as much as he did. There was so much to say… so much to bitch about, complain about… but she had stopped listening to the majority of them. Just him, he was always allowed to talk and always able to.

And what a fucking 'grand' role that was. He glared over his shoulder at her, he tried to help her and please her, and many times, she just wanted him to fuck off…

Well…

He was sarcastic, it was how he was made, it wasn't his fault. He shrugged lightly, deciding not to let it get to him for the time being as they came up to the cabin. The shinobi's eyes still on his back, scoping him. His hair…

He hated his hair, it was once short and cut, now it was lovingly bushy as fuck and unkempt, it was filled with knots from the wind, and he had scars on his face, like a ruroni kenshin scar on his left cheek from when glass had mixed with the wind in his area.

His grave yard was as dead as usual at home, but the castle had been wrecked a bit. And it was all thanks to that little bastard…

Gritting his teeth he clenched his hands into fists and then relaxed slowly into his thoughts, before letting those drift into a simple empty void looking at the wounded man behind him and jerking his head forward, He watched him stumble forward, tired obviously, before unlocking the door and moving in.

He stared at the door in mild detest before walking in after them.

His creation was unusual, needless to say. He knew many of the rules the vampires were supposed to have, but she had decided that in his making, that a simple rule of having to live off blood, and having the vampire abilities would suffice.

He wasn't affected by the sun.

He could enter where ever the hell he wanted.

He couldn't die.

Blah blah blah…

Then again, she did make him when she was around 10… he had been put to more use when she had entered the eighth grade… but his making had been far before that. He shut his eyes and sighed leaning against the wall where he knew she had been moments ago, arms crossing and knowing this was the exact place she stuck her tongue out at the wounded man that was dropping her on the bed in the bedroom. He knew this was where she felt annoyed, before joining Zabuza on the couch, where she wanted to hit him and beat him, only to know for a fact she would lose.

IT was disturbing being part of her mind. But he had been programmed to react, to protect… and now he was definitely protecting her from something… but it wasn't from the outside… it was from her memory. And that was scary enough. She had blocked out a few things before they were even there, but for them to specifically block this one.

They, he and the others, were all befuddled by it.

He was babbling now… he shut his eyes and then looked back ahead, eyes lidded as the shinobi collapsed on the couch in front of him. Turning, Mordicus headed for the door and then shut it behind him before looking back at the ring in his hand and then heading for the bedroom.

Of course the shinobi yelled after him, but he was ignored. This was none of his business, and at the same time, entirely his business. She knew who he was, after all, the creator knew them all by face, emotions, reactions… she had made them to be certain ways…

He grinned, when the one after him, Killer got out, it would be interesting.

After all, the woman was a beast. Slowly he grasped her hand and the ring and heard the stumbling shinobi. There was a thud of his side hitting the door frame before Mordicus spared him a glance up, eyes lidded before he let the onyx holding ring move down her finger and then sighed as it rested behind her knuckle on her right ring phalange.

Turning to him he smiled lightly digging in his pockets before a red iPod was produced and set on her stomach. He could feel the chakra flow in her body starting to slow, his form starting from the feet up began to dissipate back into air. Looking down as he almost seemed to steam, he chuckled in fascination as his body began to drift away.

Her chakra stopped, and he looked up at Zabuza before his hand waved, he ignored as it began to disappear quickly into air too.

"Ja Ne!"

His eyes shut.

And then they opened. Letting out a sigh as he stood with in the center of the grave yard, he looked up towards the sky and saw the clouds that resided in his level of the creator's mind. Right now they were white, meaning all was well, or as well as they would get. Moving he began in the broken building and up the circular steps that were always found somewhere in castles, part of it falling apart but being cement, he jumped up to the next landing with out much worry. He reached his window and threw his legs up and out it before resting them on the ledge out side of it.

Resting his hands beside him he chuckled lowly, before his shoulders shook more and his head threw back in a laugh.

To think death would allow him to become alive and give conscious to the others, to think it would make the fake become real and the real become fake. (Or of course stay real, he wasn't sure.)

Staring at the clouds, which would change colors as the day went on, and as her thoughts would continue, he felt a light gust and smiled almost happily.

Things were sure getting interesting.

* * *

Zabuza was convinced of one thing, as he had watched the male slowly drift away, body becoming something like steam or smoke as it did so and becoming part of the air.

That girl's ring was something that was either magical, or she had some fucked up blood line that produced blood sucking men that were immortal. Either way, his mind spoke one thing to him.

Valuable. She was a valuable asset to him.

He had of course been about to dispatch the bastard that had decided to stalk them when she had popped up. (It must have been the scream that lured her out, he was getting she was odd like that) And immediately made herself a target. Then when he was about to be on her, Zabuza had watched her pull off her ring.

It took a great amount of detail, which most jonin actually have, to know exactly what happened from there.

He had watched the air condense, and the man who had just disappeared from before him, appeared with in it. Starting from the head down. He had watched as he lunged and seeing the moment of opportunity to get the girl out of the way, Zabuza had moved to her and gotten a hold of her. He hadn't expected her to faint, but when she saw the man, she did.

They were connected. It was when he noticed the male attempting to approach that he tried to keep her away from him. Of course, he failed at that and needless to say, was surprised when the blood hungering man had practically shoved her to him. Annoyed with his attitude no doubt.

Zabuza himself was a little peeved, as he wasn't sure he liked the fact he wanted to make sure the girl was so safe so fast. But she was taking care of him, and as much as she annoyed him, she was company at least. He shrugged as he continued to review his thoughts.

The man followed them back, Zabuza had noticed him looking around a lot on the way. Perhaps looking for enemies? No, that didn't seem right. Shaking his head the shinobi focused again. He had followed them back, into the room. And stayed where he was. When Zabuza approached him again, he left him where he sat on the couch, and the shinobi had to quickly follow him back to the room.

And then he had put that ring on the girl's finger… and gave her the thing that was on her stomach now, before looking at him and smiling.

And then he smoked, misted, or steamed, what ever, away again, saying good bye.

The shinobi reached up slowly, scratching the back of his head frowning and shut his eyes letting out a very low growl. Sitting down on the bed beside the girl he slowly reached up, brushing hair from her face and out of the way of her glasses before looking back down at the ring on her finger that held the black stone.

She was valuable to him now definitely, but he still owed her… three times now. And he didn't like it. Assuming, which he most certainly was, that she was connected to the blood hungering man.

Looking slowly back ahead at the wall, he let himself lower and lay back, the bed against his back lightly as he stared at the ceiling now. Grimly, he let his mind wander, and then pause on a single thought.

_I'm starting to think bein' dead would have been a lot less confusing than this bull shit.

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_

**A/N: **Alright, chapter seven, Mordicus, up. Sorry for the errors if there are any, I'm just really tired and am off to bed. I wanted to get this up so that way I could study for an exam that I have Friday tomorrow, and not feel bad about leaving you guys waiting so long. So review, tell me what you think, as there is definitely some Alice in Wonderland crap in here. Also, if you need a reference on Mordicus, or another explanation, he does make a cameo in Research Never Meant To Be Found, the story this is a sequel of, during the rave scene in one of the chapters. Alrighty, till chapter eight, night! Hope to hear from you all before them.


	8. Silent Lesson

**A/N:** Thank you to **Kobukat, Wolfsredfalcon, Xiaahandrus, breezy034,** and **letta-love** for reviewing. I hope to hear from you after reading this chapter to hear more of what you think. I'm also glad that Mordicus brought in such a positive reaction. Some people even found him attractive.

**Mordicus:** …. There's more than enough of me to go around.

**A/N:** . Down boy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, but I do own Cassi and anything that comes out of her head for that matter. So there you have it.

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**Silent Lesson**

My head hurt as I was starting to wake up, there was a heavy weight on top of me keeping me down, my bladder was full and what ever was on me was pressing against it. I bit my lip at the heated feeling down there. Slowly tightening my muscles in the area then flexing them, then letting them relax, I felt the heat double, then lessen. My eyes opened slowly and I stared at the neck that was right beside my head. The rising and falling of the form on top of me relaxed and dead weight.

It was a familiar weight, as I had carried it many times and was very used to it. Shutting my eyes I squirmed lightly and felt something hard against my inner thigh. Fighting back a soft hiss I raised my arms and began to poke and prod at the shinobi as he let out a very soft snore. How he got on top of me, I didn't want to know, or as to why, the situation itself was rather aggravating. Why he had morning wood, I didn't want to know either, it was possibly for the best as well. Opening my eyes I let my mouth come down onto his shoulder and bit lightly. He still didn't move.

I let out a low breath before blinking and moving towards his face by arching my neck back. My mouth opened and I breathed against his ear. His eyes snapped open and he slowly looked at me, a lidded, sleepy glare holding my own annoyed gaze as he began to wake up. The quiet held for a few more moments before he shifted, his bulge down stairs rubbing up my inner thigh before he let out a low groan and became heavier than before. I laid flat to the bed as he laid before slowly pulling himself up and off me.

Getting from the bed, he stumbled into the area we had been using for the bathroom, my eyes shut for a few moments as I heard him start to go at it before I shook my head and sat up. Holding my head I heard something land beside me with a 'plop' and looked slowly at it…

How the hell did my i-pod get here? I tried to reach back, and pulled for when I had passed out…. What had made me… Oh yeah.

He appeared.

Mordicus. My loving vampire creation. I slowly rubbed my eyes and leaned forward in thought before letting out a raspy cough, phlegm flew out and somewhere into the room. I didn't bother looking for it as with that cough, came 10 more before I could breath rather easily without any crackling. Why it was crackling I didn't know, but I leaned forward slowly on the bed to stare at the red i-Pod before I picked it up and looked at the back of it, as though to make sure it was mine.

The inscription on the back had changed, from what my father had put:

_Have a blast at College,_

_Dad._

To:

_It's Survival of the Fittest, don't fuck it up,_

_Mordicus_

Wonderful, just fuckin' wonderful. I slowly let out a breath, staring ahead of me now with the i-pod in hand before I began to dig through my pockets that I had on the pants, before shoving it in them. Slowly looking around me now, I heard the loud groan from the bathroom and shut my eyes.

Really, did he have to do something like that? There was a tearing of paper and no doubt he was grabbing what little toilet paper there was in there to clean himself off. But with the fact we didn't have a shower in this place. (No shower, but a toilet, go figure.) There was the fact he couldn't just clean himself off. So he had to wipe it up.

Did I mention the toilet is a simple hole in the ground? No, huh, maybe I should have.

I heard the lumbering footsteps of him returning and took to staring at the floor while he walked out retying his belt, I didn't bother looking at him before he made a sound. I looked up… why was he eying me?

_Well, I DID just come out of you and save the day, now didn't I?_

The voice was back, I paused for a moment though, not the voice… Mordicus.

_The one and Only._

Slowly I fell back on the bed with a sigh and rubbed my temples. Now that he knew I knew who he was, he was with no doubt in my mind about it, going to be talking more.

_You bet your sweet ass I am._

I groaned aloud and grabbed the pillow to the side, shoving it over my head and letting out a frustrated howl into it before relaxing slowly and simply laying there with it over my face quietly. There was contradiction in my head, that he was going to bitch about me not talking much to him directly for the past two years. Then again, I did make him, so I knew him rather well I would say.

_Of course you do._

He was responding back to everything I was thinking! I tried to keep from thinking anything.

_Yeah… tha's not gonna work._

God damn it!

_God has nothing to do with this, and you're an atheist, so that is doubly so._

Shut up!

_No! You shut up!_

I Can't!

_Yes you ca- Wait, No! Damn it!_

Ah ha! I win!

Zabuza's voice going through the air and a hand grabbing the pillow over my head made me let out a hiss and focus as he yanked it away. Turning onto my side, the light coming through the window hurting my eyes a little bit, I covered them and hissed again much like a cat. A hand grabbing my arm and yanking me form upright though made me stick my lip out in a pout and stare at him now. His eyes lidded as he stared back at me, annoyance clearly in them.

He then let out a low breath and sat down beside me, grabbing my hand with my ring on it and pulled it up. He pointed at it slowly then tapped a few times before pulling his finger away and starting to stare. His hand tightened on my wrist, and his eyes were lidded as he was obviously checking it out.

I knew the purpose of the ring, after all, I had talked with Kris about it on numerous occasions, the ring had a chakra sealing quality, or, the onyx did anyways, and my chakra was constantly in me. This made it weak how ever, since it was rarely ever used, but it did expand my capacity over the years I had worn it. So I imagine there was a bunch of the weak blue stuff streaming through my body.

A hand wrapping around my finger and tugging at my ring made me grunt and watch him pull it off. I felt something warm move through me again and then relaxed as a burning hot sensation had ran through my spine, then relaxed. I looked around, there was nothing… letting my eyes turn to Zabuza, he stared quietly at me with a wide gaze before looking around and then grabbing my finger and shoving the ring back on.

He made a thoughtful sound, as my chakra had no doubt cut off again. Reaching to my left hand, I took the dragon ring on my middle finger off, the tip of a horn on it pointing inward towards my knuckle, and then put it back on so the point was facing out. Who knew, it could come in handy, Kris had mentioned it being useful once. But I can't exactly remember how. Shrugging mentally to myself, I let out a yelp as my left hand was grasped as well, and he stared at the ring with an almost critical gaze.

A few moments of this intense stare passed before he let go and looked away from me and around. His eyes lidded before he looked down at me and let out a low growl before mumbling something. I only got a few Japanese words. Such as stupid woman, before I decided it wasn't worth listening to.

Tired of sitting, I pushed up and then began to walk around the room, stretching my legs before sitting on the floor in front of him, his hands planted beside him before he stared down at me. Leaning forward, wincing slightly as he did so, he hovered a good foot away from my face, we studied each other, me and my dorky glasses, him bandages and all, before he leaned back. I let my head flop back to stare at the ceiling before looking back at him and letting out another sigh.

The quiet was too annoying, too empty. I shut my eyes slowly and bowed my head before a hand planted on top of it. Slowly I opened an eye as his hand just rested there before letting a small smile come to my lips.

It bugged the hell out of him too I take it. The only sound was the annoying tick tock of the clock on the wall, something I had found myself staring at for hours at a time for the past three weeks.

He broke the quiet by reaching into his pocket and moving slowly to the floor, sitting beside me before handing me a kunai. I stared at it dumbly for a few moments before he took my hand and adjusted it with his own. The calluses hard and rough on my skin, tickling lightly before he made a motion to me slowly of how to throw it.

It seemed he was just as bored as I was, deciding to humor him I watched the motion several times, before attempting in the spot he pointed.

I watched the kunai wobble, before crashing to the floor after it left my hand in it's adventure of soaring through the air. With the sound of it crashing though, came a sharp 'Whap!' to the back of my head.

I paused and twitched, slowly looking at him with an annoyed expression.

_Nice, didn't Christopher Titus say something like this, "If you're going to beat her, don't teach her how to shoot the weapon!"_

I looked at the kunai blatantly ignoring Mordicus before watching as Zabuza pointed to it, making me slowly get to my feet and retrieve it, before walking back to him and handing it to his open and expecting hand. The back of my head stinging only lightly before he repeated the throwing motion, and sitting down, I watched it again and again.

When he handed it to me after once again adjusting my grip, I proceeded to try again.

**WHAP!**

This was gonna take a while, I could tell.

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**A/N:** And that is the end of the eighth chapter! I hope to hear what you all thought about it, if you're feeling an urge to tell anyways. And also Kris will be brought into this story, but I'm having trouble figuring out exactly where she's gonna land once she's dead. So by all means, please go onto my profile and vote on the poll. Or shoot me some suggestions. I have a basic idea for each one, but I'd like to know what you might like or wouldn't. So yeah, see ya next chapter!


	9. Move Out!

**A/N:** Thank you to **Wolfsredfalcon, letta-love, breezy034, Kobukat,** and **Xiaahandrus** for reviewing.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, but I do own Cassi and anything that comes out of her head for that matter. So there you have it.

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* * *

**Move Out!**

He watched her duck as he moved to hit her for the 12th time on the back of the head. Missing, he fought back a small bit of laughter as she glared at him. Slowly sitting back up, he watched her eyes flash behind her glasses before she lunged. Letting out a groan as his back hit the floor, he stared up with a raised brow and annoyance at the feminine form on top of him.

She had had enough of him it seemed, too bad. She almost had it this time. Letting his hand come up, he grasped the back of her shirt and yanked, she hit the floor and he watched her head hit the ground this time instead of it just being his hand. With a groan she let out a hiss and he smirked underneath his bandages as she sat up and glared at him with distaste. The quiet held before he reached up and flicked the spot causing a yelp to exit her and her hands to clamp onto the spot.

She wasn't that bad…. When she wasn't annoying. And she most certainly Was annoying. He shut his eyes slowly and sighed, hearing her shuffle from beside him and move away, grasping the kunai and returning. He opened an eye from his arms crossed, meditative style position and watched as she slowly moved her fingers into the position he had guided them again and again.

He flinched as she threw it for the thirteenth time and watched it land in the wood of the wall point first and in a good inch. He slowly opened his other eye and then looked at her, her lips pulled back into a wide grin and her form swaying back and forth in what he could only assume was joy. Then the blade fell to the floor with a dull thud after slipping from the wood. She stopped smiling and stared with a frown, her happy moment gone apparently.

With a sigh, he let his hand come up and rest on her head, then lower before smacking the back of it lightly while staring at the kunai quietly. He felt her eyes and sent a dull look her way before she turned away. The bandages around his chest and keeping his back clean would have to be changed soon, that was always a joyous occasion, as the clutz was clueless… he shut his eyes and shoved her head lightly away from his hand before looking up and around.

They would have to leave here soon, they had been in this cabin nearly a month and that seemed far long enough in his opinion. Opening his eyes he took a glance at her and then looked her form up and down. A size 12 in the pants maybe? He didn't know… they would have to get her and himself clothes though, as well as supplies… he would do the shopping.

He'd bring her with though, might as well as he was rather wary of leaving her to her own devices. He glanced at the ring on her right hand with a tired glance. If she took that ring off and her chakra expanded out like it had for him, it would be far too easy to track them as well. The girl had much chakra. And he did mean Much, there was more than any normal person. But it was uncontrolled, and disgustingly weak. Until she could mask it on her own the ring would have to stay on.

He chuckled softly and shook his head; it wouldn't be like training a kid. Not when the girl was older and more developed body wise than Haku. He'd have to be harder on her… if he was going to make her into a tool. He had his doubts about doing that though. She was naïve and ignorant….

Of the life here anyways, but she hadn't been stupid when it came to him besides dressing his wounds. She had a habit of reading him. He felt her gaze again and then a finger jab lightly into his cheek making him reach up and grab it tightly and painfully. He growled out lowly to her, "Do not poke me." Her other hand came up.

And it planted into his face. His eye twitching he let out a low hiss and released her finger before her form moved away from his own. The quiet held a few more moments before reaching up, he beckoned her forward. She simply stared at him before shaking her head and then smiling lightly. Did she think this was a game? Growling lowly he beckoned her again, and her grin widened, shaking it before he felt a small flame ignite in his mind of anger. He glared at her slowly and watched her grin disappear, her odd teeth (the two beside the front two abnormally small) soon covered by her lips as her eyes narrowed.

Good, she knew he wasn't fucking around any more. Slowly he watched her approach and sit beside him making him nod in approval before grabbing the back of her shirt. There was a yelp and babbled squeal, as he looked at her form underneath it then glanced back up her. He had been having her eat fish and what ever he could hunt mostly. Some canned or dried foods in the cabin that were still around when they had gotten there he knew she had used to feed him. So she was still fed, probably not well fed, but as he saw it, even if she wasn't overweight, what weight she did have could become muscle.

If she was to be any use to him. That was, after he paid back his debt to her, then she would be in debt to him. He'd find a reason why later on, he just knew she was going to be stuck with him one way or another…

He glared at her ring lightly and almost twitched looking away from her and then letting out a low breath, it had made her a valuable asset to him and while it annoyed him, he was also almost interested to see how this would work out. He however did not want to be babysitting her any longer than needed….

Though for a while it had seemed to be the complete opposite… He growled lowly and saw her look at him now. Her eyes lidded and lips pulled into a line, she was only like that when she was about to become irritable… and she was absolutely annoying when she became irritable to him.

Her hand planted in his face again, he glared and grabbed her shirt. Yanking, he watched her fall to the floor while her body sprawled over his lap. His hand grasping her arm and twisting it painfully behind her back making her let out a hiss. There was a few moments of tense waiting, before she stilled completely and submitted. He let go and watched her roll off. Occasionally he wondered why she didn't fight back as much as she would like to, it showed in her eyes that she would rather be fighting with him but she was holding back. Maybe she did have a clue as to what he could do, maybe she didn't.

Who knew?

Letting out a breath he moved to his feet, eyes lidded as his back felt a bit better and flexed his form. His eyes shutting and a low groan exiting him before he opened his eyes and looked down at her again. Grabbing her shoulder he yanked her up with a blank look before watching her straighten and stare at him. The quiet interrupted only by the ticking before he moved to the door and grasping it, opened it then took hold of a bag.

He threw it to her and then watched her grab hold of it as it collided into her chest. She simply stared as he began to grab clothing, her ripped, but repaired cloak to begin with, and tossed it to her before pointing at the bag. Understanding, she stuffed it inside after folding it and he nodded in approval before starting to dig more through the closet.

The process became simple, he threw things at her watching as she caught them and soon held them in the bag. Soon he was pulling on a shirt, his eyes lidded, as it was a little bit big but then again, the old man had always been a few times larger than himself.

Slowly he let out a groan as the cloth rubbed lightly against the bandages and wounds. He shut his eyes and let out a breath. They would have to remain incognito for a bit… he wasn't quite ready to come back from the afterlife… for now, Zabuza Momochi would remain dead to the world.

* * *

We were packing… he was having us pack...

_Well dumbass that's what happens when you're leaving the area ya know. You were military, you should know this._

Shut up Mordi!

_My Name is Mord-I-CUS damn it, not Mordi!_

What ever, I looked up at Zabuza as he grasped the black cloak inside of the closet, one he had rather kept me from using to curl up in on cold nights. I watched him pull his hands through the sleeves before slowly covering my mouth in my amusement. The thing was bigger than he was. I felt my shoulders shake though as he gave me a scowl, I didn't think it was possible for a grown man to look like a little kid, but he most certainly proved me wrong.

I ducked out of the way of his sandal, which had also been hidden with in the closet as it was thrown at me before I sat on the floor putting my feet together and holding my ankles. Tilting my head I shut my eyes and let out a low breath, before hearing soft sounds. I opened my eyes and stared at him as he leaned down and crouched in front of me.

Slowly he pointed at my face, "Ko-ne-ko." I then watched him take his thumb and jab it at himself. "Hi-ro-to." I stared at him for a few moments as he pointed at me again and held a silence.

Why did I have to be the kitten? I titled my head and then looked at the finger, then back at him. Hesitantly I inhaled and sighed out, "Koneko." He nodded then slowly pointed at himself. "Heee….ro…to?" He frowned behind the bandages before slowly nodding and then reaching forward. I watched his hand rest on my head and frowned staring up at it as his hand flexed a few times in something like an awkward ruffle. Looking back at his face I fought back a smile as his face was holding a scowl.

He was uncomfortable. I watched him get up and hold his hand out, noticing the gesture, I grasped up around his wrist and his own hand immediately clamped around it while also yanking me to my feet. His other hand came up, fingers immediately flicking into symbols and I felt something burn into my wrist and immediately attempted to wrench it away. His hand tightened and I felt something in my throat come up and hiss out in something like a whimper before I shut my eyes tightly.

He let go and I let out a gasp before staring at clutching my wrist, it held blue glowing symbols around it that slowly turned black like ink. The hiragana symbols as fresh as though they were just put there by a writing brush. Anger rushed through me and I slowly looked at him before his eyes narrowed. My stinging hand clenched before I threw my fist at him, it was caught and there was a blur of movement before my chest and front slammed up against his, his arm over my shoulder keeping the twisted limb jammed up against my back.

I let out a whimper and hissed lowly before shutting my eyes and letting my head bow onto the steadily rising and falling chest that was in front of my face. The quiet held for a few more moments before he let go and I stumbled away from him, my hand frantically moving to my arm and rubbing, coaxing the pain away before I slowly looked back at my wrist to watch as the symbols faded.

He let out a grunt, his hand grasping the scarf he had had me retrieve a while back and pulling it around his waist before tying it. I stared at Haku's linen and then looked back at him and raised a brow. He simply cast a glare at me, I looked away then out the window and around… then he kicked something to me.

My shoe raked over my big toe, I winced slowly and then dug the socks out of them, smelly, and dirty. I pulled them on though before another pair hit me in the face. I sat down on the floor before yanking the smelly sock off and staring at the black ones in front of me. I lifted them up, smelling them before pulling them on.

These were slimmer and smaller… who did they belong to? I looked up at the shinobi who only shrugged and crossed his arms leaning against the wall. I slowly pulled them onto my feet before shutting my eyes as they were so soft… I pulled on my feet next and laced them before tying them up and into a bow. I pushed my feet, the pain in my wrist completely gone before I stared at him now. His hand came forward, grasping my shoulder and shoving me out in front of him. I stepped out, turning to stare as he locked the door back up and put the key back into the fake rock.

We weren't coming back. He usually took the key with him, looking up at me, he slowly moved ahead of me and I watched quietly at his back before he shifted the pack onto it. Looking at me now over his shoulder, he gave another jerk of his head and I moved quickly to his side, his strides long and quick.

_We're Movin' Out!_

Yes, it seemed we were… I looked at Zabuza who didn't bother to give me another glance as I looked ahead of us at the trees, and loss of path.

But to where?


	10. And the Father bear

**A/N: **Thank you to **Wolfsredfalcon, breezy034, Kobukat**, and **Xiaahandrus** for all reviewing. Hope to hear from you all again.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, but I own Cassi as well as what ever is in her head.

**Mordicus: **Oi! No say this time!

**A/N:** You're becoming a tease Mordi.

**Mordi: **I'm MORDICUS Damn It! Stop Using my Kid's name!

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**And the Father bear said to the Mama bear…**

**Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?**

The cabin's front was left undisturbed, quiet and dark. Giving no sign of the habitants that had been there nearly a week ago. He could smell their scents though all to easily. One male and one female. The female was healthy, the male was wounded… perfect prey if he was feeling adventurous… but at the moment he wanted to rest. He slowly looked at his partner though, the one who wanted to come here.

He hadn't been here in years, he didn't want to be either, but these new scents drug his curiosity. As one of them he was very familiar to, and the other had a small… inkling of familiarity to it. He couldn't grasp it though; it was too murky in the vicious ocean of churning waters in his mind. Slowly he heard his partner speak. His white eyes and black pupils turning towards his fair ebony skinned, raven haired comrade.

"You've stopped. Why?" The voice that left the younger male was easy and calm, his thin light blue lips pulled into a small frown. "What is it?"

"The gaki's been here…" He replied, his own voice was slightly lighter, but it held a polite undertone. He shut his eyes, inhaling deeply before slowly nodding in confirmation to squash his own doubt. "He was reported dead four months ago." He figured he should explain that before Itachi asked him why it was important, "apparently he's got a little helper though…"

"…Someone has been taking care of him?"

He let out a grunt and nodded once again, not knowing if his partner saw it or not. He didn't have to talk much though for the man to read him.

"…hn." It was the sound that was reflecting the shark like man's own thoughts. He moved forward, noticing his fake rock he used had long been moved. Opening it, he extracted the key though and opened the door.

The smell of dirt and filth came forward and he grimaced shutting his eyes before looking at the man over his shoulder, he raised a brow, "…There are other places Itachi."

Itachi Uchiha simply glared at him half heartedly before murmuring lowly, "We need to rest Kisame." The quiet held before the 6' 5" shark man looked ahead of him, his mouth opening to reveal slightly pointy teeth before nodding.

"One moment." Was the response offered as the man moved forward, "…they left a bloody mess behind." He could smell them better in here. How long did they keep indoors? Was Zabuza that badly wounded that he had to stay hidden in such a fashion? He moved to the area beside the stove and the cabinets and the female scent wafted from it…

The couch held his old comrade's scent right across from it. He blinked before letting his hand rest against the wall, tracing where the scent was most vivid. She was a little over 5' 5", relatively young… he blinked as the scent made something pang lightly into his mind and he glanced at the door way where his partner was waiting. He looked back to where Zabuza had spent the most of his time, and then back around. He headed towards the commode and grimaced at the obvious use it had had before rubbing his face.

"Cheeky bastard…" He shut the door behind him and sighed lightly as he opened the closet door and saw missing clothes as well. Itachi's own pair of socks were gone. He rolled his eyes and then looked at the ceiling with a look that almost said, 'really?' With sarcasm dripping from ever tone of it. He checked the food rations, empty. The spare kunai, shuriken, and senbon supply he had hidden through out the cabin had been wiped out completely, the clothes were clean at least… but a pair of Itachi's trousers and one of his shirts he had taken here shortly after their partner ship began had that female scent on them. Light but washed away.

Zabuza was taking care of the female with him; he found evidence of that also in the commode hole, bloody rags having been disposed into it. He had been keeping her clothed, fed (as he knew the man did not eat as much as he had had alone from his old habits), and allowing her to sleep in the bedroom. Her scent was coming from there more so than his own, telling him this was the truth.

Slowly he looked at Itachi, still waiting at the door, he jerked his head in. Signifying it was clear. The younger man, unaware of the scents that were infiltrating the shark's scent so easily, walked to the couch and sat down immediately on it after removing his shoes at the door way.

"Are you going to go looking for him?" The quiet held for a few moments while Kisame had gone to search in the bedroom to see if anything had been left behind there. He wasn't surprised to see that many of his personal objects had been left be. His toy drawer, his scrolls, and a katana from his ANBU days.

Was the girl not a kunoichi? He was very sure it wouldn't be here if she was… it was a fine blade and one that was supposed to be used as the head of his clan for formal wear. But it was meant for battle more so…

He was drawn from his thoughts while Itachi repeated the question. Large and long blade still on his back, the Akatsuki member, an elite S Class shinobi looked at him, and grinned.

"And leave you defenseless Itachi san?" It was a notion that he was interested in looking up his ex-comrade, but he would not leave the younger man unless he was sure he was not wanted there. And if the boy himself could defend himself.

On that note, he would never call Itachi a boy directly to his face. At least, not unless he got pissed off, which he rarely did when it came to the Uchiha nowadays.

"Go." Was the growled out reply.

Itachi was sure he could defend himself… staring at him for a few moments though, the shark made his own analysis.

He had not used the magenkyou sharingan, his bloodline's ultimate form, today. He also was tired from the lack of rest they had through out their mission of tracking down a different technique. The younger man could hunt, as well as easily fend for himself. Shinobi were capable of such. With a small curt nod, he grasped his blade and swung it onto his back and moved before the stopping, "There are no supplies."

"Bring some when you come back."

Kisame fought back a chuckle, moving out of the cabin and letting the door shut quietly behind him. Of course the Uchiha would demand a restock of the cabin's supplies, expecting him fully to return with them. Which he would, as he always did.

He didn't come here often, the when he did, he knew what the boy expected. While the absolute quiet of not questioning him much had become the custom between the two, it was well with in reason.

At least as long as it remained reasonable. What the Uchiha was stating was the need for them not for now, but for next time. They had their own shit they carried and scrolls that held food. But next time, they may not.

Inhaling and catching his old comrade's scent easily enough, the shark let the order slip into the back of his mind before his feet dug into the ground and he crouched. He burst it seemed, from the ground like a rock in an air pipe. He jumped onto a branch that seemed to almost move to catch him, before like a shark to blood, he was after his prey.

* * *

_Left…. Right…. Left right left._

Shut Up, Mordicus! Honesty!

_Well we've been walking when we haven't stopped to eat, sleep, or break for A WEEK NOW CASS! FORGIVE ME If I'm a little bored._

Bored? What right do you have to be bored?! Think something up to entertain yourself!

_Bitch It Isn't that Simple!_

I wish I could kill you right now, ya know that?

_And as Jeff Dunham would say playing Peanut, that would be a form of suicide!_

God I was starting to hate the little bastard's new ability to talk back to me with out me thinking it up. Whenever I had a blank moment in my mind, he filled it with something.

_Cause that's what I'm here for._

Shutting my eyes I fought back a scream, my feet burning from the constant walking, and my fists clenching so my nails dug into my palms. He wasn't going to let up, I could tell…

I waited for him to say something…

Silence….

Mordi?

_MORDICUS DAMN IT!_

Ah, never mind. He was still there. Slowly I opened my eyes and let out an irritated break, staring at the clouds before looking back at my ever-silent traveling companion. Zabuza had been in his own thoughts lately too. Only I suspected they were much less annoying and humorous as my own. He often had moments where with out cause he would glare at me, or when we were going to break, he would push me to the ground and walk to a tree, sitting and leaning against it.

Never letting me out of his sight and not allowing me to wander to far.

I personally was wondering what crawled up his ass?

_Well his 'tool' died, and he's stuck with You. Who has no actual ability besides your drawing, (minimal) your writing, (not bad) and your memory. (Which lasts when you only pay attention to your surroundings.) Dimwit._

I felt a pang of something close to guilt flush through my mind, before it was filled with annoyance again by the way the vampire spoke and underlined shit. I rubbed my eyes, looking at the bandaged brooding man again.

At least his wounds were healing up. He would be able to carry his blade, which we had retrieved before heading into a small town, soon. I think anyways, I couldn't be to sure, I wasn't a doctor.

The sound of footsteps and voices ahead of us made his hand come out and grab the front of my shirt. (A dark blue skin tight tank with an black vest over it that stopped at my stomach.) And yank me to him. I felt his hand rest down on my hip, fingers digging in oh so lightly to make it look very much like he was keeping me possessively to his side.

It was a game he played around other men I took note to, as often I felt this weird gaze they gave me. I couldn't help but feel curious and angry all at once, but I let my head come and rest underneath his arm. Another habit that had grown over the week.

This man confused me to much.

The bandits appeared.

I wasn't quite sure if they were bandits, but from the episode I had seen with bandits, meaning the ones with Zabuza and Haku, these guys were looking similar to those. So maybe they were. And as they spotted us, me with my top and almost green khaki's and him with his hood and big black cloak. They shifted their direction towards us, instead of away. I looked slowly up at Zabuza.

What the Hel!? Why was he glaring at ME?

_Well you do have an ass and big tits. _I grimaced at the vampire's language, tits had always bugged me. Never knew why either…

But he did have a point, I hated that. Slowly I looked back up at Zabuza again from my stare into space to see he had straightened, hand resting on my hip lightly and I watched as a kunai had slipped into his other hand, hiding in his sleeve with a practiced motion. My god.

Was I gonna see someone die? An odd animal like anticipation moved through me and I bit my lip lightly tucking closer to his side. He glanced back at me as the bandits moved closer before starting to speak. They replied back, I heard sneers on their tongues and tones that made my body shiver lightly, before he once again tightened his grasp on my hip.

We were gonna have a talk about nail clippers, some day. But for right now I could deal with it. He simply spoke again, his voice a low growl. I felt my breathing stop for a moment as I listened, it was almost like hearing a dog snarl over it's food. You knew to stay away, but you had to watch. I let my eyes drift back up to his face, hidden partially with in the shadows but very visible to me.

He was scowling, and there was a new darkness that was to his eyes before he looked at me and then something else held my own gaze behind my glasses. What was he trying to tell me?

Slowly he released me, and pointed to the tree that was off the beaten and worn dirt path we had been walking for days now. I felt my feet move immediately to it before I was soon staring at him as he maintained eye contact with me from in front of the tree. Slowly I realized what was about to happen.

Crossing my arms I let my form rest against the tree an popped a foot casually up. My breathing low and the feeling bubbled in my stomach. It was scary, to be thinking that I may see someone die, it was exciting, as well as forbidden all together making me realize more and more where I was.

The shinobi world most certainly wasn't like home. And this man was certainly no Peter Rabbit or whatever the hell the rabbit's name from Alice and Wonderland was. I shut my eyes for a few moments, before hearing the first cry and opening my eyes. I watched as the kunai appeared in his hand, then flew with expert precision down into the head of one of the men. They all attacked like rabid dogs, and as my eyes were trained on them, I slowly forced myself to look to Zabuza.

He had another kunai, one for each hand now, and he was racing to meet them head on. His hood had fallen back, his eyes though alight with something… joy?

I think it was. I watched as he ducked out of the way of a blade, then stabbed the blade of the kunai into one man's side, a cry exiting him. He followed with yanking it out and in another twist, slicing open the back of his neck starting from one jugular and ending at his other. He then moved to the next that came at him, just missing the spear of him and easily removing his hand that was still holding it.

My eyes shut now, before opening and staring with the same eyes, and the same view as before. Everything was quiet how ever… something I didn't understand.

His fingers found the throat of one man.

CRUNSNAP!

His body moved for the next, a single living deadly weapon. His muscles flexing and his hands on his kunai now fists as he sliced, tore, broke, and destroyed everything that came in front of him. A true master of disaster and destruction. Then as he stopped, he slowly stood there, breathing heavily.

I watched blood on his face, unaware of how my eyes had become wide and I was paler, not noticing my body was shaking lightly or my heart beat was considerably harder. Drip down and an odd unconscious thought moved through my head that his bandages were going to get dirty. He slowly looked up from the middle of the blood and gore, then back at me.

Urine ran down the inside of my thigh, and he stared blankly for a moment, before his shoulders shook and I blinked and looked down from my amazed, terrified trance and immediately fought back a flush of embarrassment and a shriek of shame. Laughter began from him, cruel, dark laughter, before he fixed me with a dark smirk.

I bowed my head away from it, feeling an odd bit of shame that I would lose control to such in his presence, as well a bit of shock too…

Instead of screaming and running. I had waited and stayed, I had watched.

Not only did I watch, but also I was an audience to it, unable to think what had shown up before me… unable to mentally express anything to it… but my body did.

How did that work? I slowly frowned and grunted as a hand planted on my head.

I ignored Zabuza for a few moments while tears were running lightly down my face, sobbing happening but my body working with out my mind, my mind not feeling that dread, but the facial expressions that came from crying.

The shock wore off as that awkward ruffle came back and the fear I had been missing in my fascination, and the deep anger and embarrassment came flooding back. Almost like they were on a time delay. Slowly I looked up, the shinobi looking away from me and a disgusted feel coming from his expression, before I hugged myself lightly and shut my eyes. A hand shoved lightly against my head, pushing it back at a tree and I opened an eye slowly and grudgingly to stare at him. He was still looking around before slowly sighing and tugging me into the woods by the hand.

I recalled one of the only few words in Japanese I could use and remember and apologized. He paused for a moment, staring at me with narrowed eyes as the trees had covered the trail from us surprisingly quick before looking me up and down then sighing and shoving me along.

I took it as his acceptance of it. At least for now.

* * *

A/N: Alrighty, I'm gonna make this simple. This is an AU, so Zabuza's 'death' is being moved closer to Sasori's Death. It's the only way I can make this work. Meaning it was during the 2 year skip this began, or right before it, don't know yet. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I hope more that I'll hear what you thought about it. And with the most hope, that I will see ya all next chapter. Tata till then though!


	11. Three Days Later

**A/N:** Thank you **to XSweetXSourXSoulX, Xiaahandrus**, and **Wolfsredfalcon **for reviewing.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Naruto. But I do own Cassi and anything that comes out of her head.

* * *

**Three Days Later…..**

I felt.

Like.

Shit.

I don't even know what brought this on, but my head hurt like hell and if I moved too much, or stood up, I felt like I was going to puke. My body was cold, so I was wrapped in my cosplay cloak, which in turn made me too hot. I had a sweat going on too. This was actually the bright side. The dark was the man across from me just glaring, sitting on the chair that he had purposefully made face me as I was laid curled in my cloak on the couch that our hotel room had.

I caught a bug or something; maybe it was all the fish… I slowly glared at him lightly as he glared back at me. We held this stare for a few moments before I lost any will to hold it much longer before shutting my eyes. I was tired, I felt bad, and I just wanted to sleep more… it had started last night.

I had started vomiting. Ever seen Zabuza Momochi freak out?

I have. Oooh I have… Give him an 18 year old that starts barfing and getting a cold sweat right after he just sit's down and you'll find something quite amusing. He had jumped up, grabbed hold of me, and after we managed to get some water down, well.

It just came back out; I only stopped a good eight hours ago.

What the hell was I so sick for?

The pain in my shoulder made my hand dig into it again. It was acting up as well, since the sickness had started. And I didn't like that part the most. He just left me alone since we got here though, that itself didn't surprise me though, it was almost like he was clueless.

Shit, my eyesight was getting blurry.

_Go to sleep, we'll work on you._ It was a light female voice this time, emotionless and calm as ever. I wondered for a moment who it was….

Then I followed it's command all to easily.

* * *

Zabuza let out a sigh as he watched her chest slowly rise and fall in slumber. He relaxed slowly against the chair behind him before shutting his eyes slowly. If she was asleep she couldn't throw up any more of the nutrients her form had been getting. But he supposed he should be a little more careful in pushing her… though even wounded his stamina greatly out lasted her own.

He moved quietly up and towards the couch and grasped her cloak around her, yanking it up and pulling it to her shoulders. Immediately he watched her curl and bury her face into it. The sound of content leaving her making him slowly blink and then chuckle.

She wasn't growing on him by any means, but she was tolerable to be around. Particularly the long periods of silence he had watched her gain over the past few days. She'd get this distant look and he'd become accustomed to placing a hand on her back of neck and guiding her during these times. The first time it happened she had walked into a tree, tripped over two roots, and almost fell in a river.

Silently he moved back to the couch, and stopped. His eyes narrowing at the figure leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. The sound of a thunder storm was muffled against the walls of the room but the lightening in almost a dramatic effect lit up the dim lit room letting him immediately see the light blue skin and glowing eyes of his old elder comrade.

His heartbeat picked up and his eyes widened for a few moments. The sound of his breathing the only thing that could be picked up in the room before the larger man pulled his blade off and slowly moved forward, they maintained eye contact for a few moments before Hoshigaki Kisame, the scourge of the mist, sat down on the chair Zabuza had been on mere seconds ago.

He let his hand come down and rest on the girl's cloaked shoulder, not about to rouse her but to assure him she was still asleep.

"Where did you get that cloak?" Was the very first thing that exited his old comrade, dragging Zabuza's gaze to the cloak, down it, then over to the elder man.

Eyes immediately narrowing while he saw how he was wearing if not exactly, a very similar attire. The quiet held for a few more moments before he grunted out, "What does it matter?"

Tension hit his senses and his eyes narrowed into slits, he glared at Kisame who was watching him now with a very firm look on his face. He couldn't exactly see what he was feeling, or what the emotionless masked man was going to do but… he grunted as his arm was grasped and his form slammed away into the wall. He groaned and then lifted his head, watching the shark lightly grasp the cloak and yank it up away from the form.

Zabuza shot to his feet the best he could, his back healed enough it hadn't broke open since the cauterization a month ago. He stumbled forward and watched the man continue to stare at the girl.

She was to be his property, and he would not be denied such a valuable creature. But as he watched his older comrade, he saw something appear on his face he hadn't seen before. At least, with out being told.

The man was greatly troubled…

* * *

Kisame felt something in his mind that was leaping with joy, but also screaming with fury. He didn't know why either to either of them. The woman had the cloak, but it could be coincidental…. Unlikely, but possible. She was ill though, sick. And that's why he was pissed off.

Considering he did not know her, this made no sense to him nor did it make his predicament any more pleasant. Moving his hand down and resting it slowly on her head, he felt the soft and coarse hairs and ran his fingers through it.

_It used to be longer._ Did it? He couldn't recall… something was tipped in the back of his mind, telling him he knew this woman for a short time, that he even had a fondness, a sadistic cold fondness for her. He just couldn't remember who the hell she was? Or exactly, where she was from, or where he met her.

He didn't like this at all… he slowly looked over at Zabuza as he drew his fingers away and then at the cloak before throwing it onto her again, watching her form immediately shift and cover itself in it.

He slowly frowned though, seeing as her form was poking out of it. He highly doubted that she could get him sick… he groaned and began to pull his cloak off his form while Zabuza was glaring now.

"What are you doing?"

"Quiet Gaki." He replied back throwing his own cloak over the form, watching it mammoth her easily. There was a pause at this and her form shifted, grasping hold and even snuggling into it, her nose burying into it, inhaling. He raised a brow and watched her slowly settle but remain relaxed all the same. "Now…" He turned and looked at Zabuza, "Where did she get that cloak?"

The smaller man's face was set in a steady scowl… he wasn't going to say apparently. The elder did not have much patience as there were things he wanted to know NOW and he would not be denied them. Glaring at Zabuza he moved forward and grasped his vest he wore now, lifting him from the ground, "Tell me now." Was the low feral growl that exited him. He saw the man's eyes widen in recognition.

He wasn't one to be intimidated, Zabuza, in fact, Kisame couldn't recall a time that this had worked. Grunting he was stumbling away from the smaller man as his foot had slammed into his abdomen. Tripping lightly on the back of his heel, Kisame's form went down…

The couch and the girl caught him. A groan exiting her as she was awakened from his heavy form and his eyes moving to her as they opened, unfocused and glazed slightly with whatever sickness she caught. He froze as blue made contact with his own white eyes and saw her fumble for her glasses then pull them onto her face.

* * *

_How in the hell did THE FISH MAN GET HERE!?_

Now that wasn't very nice….

_Bite me._ Mordicus simply replied to me, I shook my head inwardly and then smacked him. _OW!_

That's what you get.

Slowly I looked at the form now sitting on my legs, up and down. My head still hurt like hell and my throat was dry as fuck. But it was bashed away by the pain that was in my shoulder as well. My hand coming up lightly and rubbing at it trying to lessen it as I stared at the man with light blue skin, a strong jaw, and fish eyes along with gill marks in much confusion.

I looked over at Zabuza who quickly moved over and grasped my arm. I let out a yelp as my form was pulled out from under the large hard ass of the shark and an arm wrapped tightly around my stomach pulling me tight to his own form. I looked up confused and dizzy from the movement before shutting my eyes and letting my head fall back against his chest. "If I puke it's your fault…" Was the groan that exited me in response to this. I merely got a growl from him and took the time to notice that it wasn't directed to me by any means.

The quiet held for a few moments before I got the will to look up at Kisame who was staring back before he shifted and got to his feet. I let out a breath and felt the sweat returning to my body that hadn't been there when I was asleep. He spoke lowly and continued to look at me while Zabuza shifted.

Made you wonder what they were talking about….

* * *

"You have any idea on how to take care of a sick kid?"

"She's just fatigued." Zabuza snapped back to his question. Kisame let out a sigh, looking down for a few moments and rubbing his eyes. His body told him to very much go and just kill them both. While his mind told him something was missing and he very much needed to take the girl himself. That she was already claimed property…

Now it would be interesting if he had any proof to this fact, or that he could see any, but he did have a good memory. He hadn't met this female any where in his life. He didn't even know quite why he was feeling any attachment to her or what the hell was going on. She was a curious item and he would follow that curiosity and find out what he needed to know.

_She's obviously Zabuza's…_ His mind mumbled in light annoyance. What did he give a damn who she belonged to and who she didn't. He was very much curios of the matter, and the fact was as long as she had that cloak, that made her the Akatsuki's business, and for the amount of time that she was their business, he would take care of the matter first hand.

And he wasn't quite sure he liked the fact that she was so close to his younger ex comrade as it was. It wasn't his concern… but his instinct was arguing with him quite a bit at the moment. It was demanding he take her from the man, and he had no idea as to why…

"She's not fatigued. She's sick." Was the simple reply, the shark glanced at the demon with an annoyed face, "Don't be so arrogant or she may get worse."

The quiet held all the more before slowly Kisame smirked, "Plus, you owe me. That was quite a mess you left in my cabin boy." A bitter look passed through the jonin's eyes while the S-class simply continued to grin. "I'm not doctor but even I know how to take care of a sick brat."

"Oh shut up. The only reason you know is because of the weaklings you picked up in your team."

"Oh? Did your little _tool_ ever get sick?" There was no reply, Zabuza's eyes did get darker for a second though and Kisame observed as his hand tightened on his female companion making her let out a hiss. The grip was immediately corrected and the man paused staring down at her while she let her gaze follow and look up. He observed the eye contact between them. One of silent almost worry and the other cold, hard, and emotionless.

She reached up and planted a hand on his face making him immediately grunt. Kisame fought back a laugh as she pushed his head away from hers if only a little before letting out a soft groan and letting her hand drop back down. Zabuza immediately glared up at him as his arm remained tight around her waist before Kisame brought out a hand, "Let me take a look at her and we'll find out how to make her better."

"Like I'd ever trust you with a female…" Was the low growl that exited Zabuza, "I'm not stupid and my memory is quite good." The shark almost let out a groan of his own and rubbed his eyes before sighing. He wasn't very good at this nice guy thing… he could be polite, yes, but other than that… he was doing horrible at it…

So he guessed it was time to go back to the old ways. He watched Zabuza slam back into the chair with a well placed punch and roll backwards after tipping it before letting his hand, which had grasped hold of the girl's shirt, move to her shoulder. There was no response as she was staring at the man get up before she immediately turned a tired, angry glare at him.

He fought back a laugh when she attempted to struggle away from him as he let his arm loop around her waist and yank her up against him as his hand moved to cup her forehead. Her head lifting and even attempting to bite him bringing forth more of his amusement.

The instinct in him also cooed it's excitement as well, amused with her fighting in her weak state before she finally settled and allowed him to bring his hand fully onto her head and throat. She was breathing heavily now, his eyes noting her own giving away the fact she was slipping in and out of consciousness before she finally slumped in his grasp. Pulling her up an cradling her form in an arm, he glanced at the demon getting to his feet.

"I suggest you start making a broth of sorts." He mumbled moving back towards the couch. "She is fatigued, but I'd say a change in what ever she had been eating is what did her in."

"Are you saying she has food poisoning!?" Was the almost annoyed snarl that exited Zabuza.

Kisame slowly felt his lips pulling into a smile, "Yes gaki, I'm saying your little brood has food poisoning."


	12. Pinky Promise

**A/N:** Thank you to **Xiaahandrus, Wolfredfalcon, XSweetXSourXSoulX**, and **kitten652** all for reviewing.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, but I do own Cassi and anything that comes out of her head for that matter. So there you have it.

* * *

**Pinky Promise**

When I woke up again, I didn't feel any better. My stomach didn't hurt at least, and I was most certainly more aware and conscious than before. But my entire form still felt hot and sweaty, and I still wanted nothing more than to just curl up and die. After all, in my unconscious state, or half conscious state, I remember being pulled about, using the toilet, someone had cleaned me as well…

As if pissing myself in front of Zabuza hadn't been bad enough.

_Oh no way, if you could see what the blue guy tried to do when you were aslee-_

Blue Guy? What blue guy?

_Fish face, Captain Planet, the guy who sells Dishwashers, Flounder, Jaws, ya know? Daniel called him Fish stick I think._

Kisame was here? I blinked and lifted my head weakly and stared around the sea of blankets that was around me. I saw an arm over my waist and studying it for a bit, determined it was Zabuza's. Then relaxing and burying my face lightly into the blanket, I looked out over to the corner where another chair had been placed in the hotel room.

This chair had six legs though, two human, four wooden… I stared and followed them up to the man with his muscular light blue arms resting lightly crossed on his chest and his head down on his collar. His hair drooping lightly and his breathing soft. The two asleep and their snores very light as they moved through the air.

I shifted lightly and then shut my eyes, as there was a warm feeling that brushed against my nether regions. I had to pee, bad from the looks of it. Moving at the pace of a clam making a pearl, I moved from the bed and fought back a sound as my legs almost gave. Stiffly, I walked to the bathroom shutting the door behind me and proceeded to empty the contents of my bladder and large intestine before flushing.

I then paused thinking to something Mordicus said. What had Kisame tried to do to me in my sleep?

_Oh, nothing too much, he just tried to undress you for a different pair of clothes and Zabuza flipped out. Apparently he doesn't want anyone seeing the nice marks on your shoulder. That or he actually likes you and is all-possessive and all that shit the girls make up in fanfiction and all._ I almost laughed at his explanation. I think the first was more likely.

At the mention of said scars, I felt a tinge of pain go through them as I began to strip slowly down, locking the door I started up the water of the shower in desperate need for one. I felt icky and dirty all at the same time. Slowly I stepped inside and felt my knees lock up immediately to try and keep my form up. Shutting my eyes I let my head bow forward and rest against the wall before letting out a low groan.

There was a sound, the door opened, shut, then I frowned as I was sure I locked the damn thing.

_Sweet heart, you're dealing with Ninjas._ I shut my eyes and looked over to see an out of it Zabuza. What was he doing? I watched him unzip and paused, then flinched as he began to pull his thing out. I made a sound and he immediately looked at me and seemed to wake up. His eyes widening and he looked down, then back at me, then back down. I stared for a few moments before creeping back into the shower and out of sight like some odd scared animal. I wasn't frightened… it was just an odd thing to see. He did his business and flushed. Hot water sprayed down and I let out a loud curse before he chuckled softly. I got to my feet and yanked the shower curtain back as he was zipping up his pants.

His eyes when the soap bar made contact with his head made me feel a mental laugh in my head as Mordicus no doubt watched. It then died as he turned to glare at me. I felt my form tense lightly while he stared before slowly stocked forward. I felt fear take over me and stepped backwards before my back hit the wall after two steps. He loomed over me and leaned down, staring at me directly in the eye with his own dark cold orbs.

The quiet held as my form shook and then my knees gave out. He looked down at me, satisfaction on his face before he turned and moved to the door and leaned against it after yanking the curtain back into place. My heart beat hard in my chest before I relaxed slowly after a few moments.

_Memo yourself, Do not Throw Things at Zabuza's Head._

Oh it would definitely be noted. I shut my eyes for a few moments before standing back up weakly, feeling a wave of tiredness and nausea come over me before I began to steady out and relax. I leaned against the wall for a few moments before reaching for the other bar of soap on the wall. I don't recall it being here last time I checked, but of course I didn't really care in my current state.

Slowly I rubbed it into my skin, and then followed with the shampoo and conditioner to the side of me before I slowly reached for the knob controlling the heat of the water. I began to turn it slowly to cool; my eyes shutting as cold water came onto my head, my eyes shutting tightly for a few moments before relaxing into it.

There was a disturbance in the constant flow of water as it came down and I opened an eye to look over and stare at my caretaker (or was I his? It was getting hard to tell now.) as he placed a hand in the water and glanced at me with a raised brow. I grunted as he placed a hand on my forehead in the process then pulled his hand back after a few moments and turned the water colder. I yelped and shivered for a moment before shaking my head back and forth rapidly.

He looked at me for a moment then murmured something, I could only guess he was saying, 'cold?' So I repeated it back in English and he stared for a few moments before nodding then stepping back from the shower all together. I blinked several times and then slowly looked down at the porcelain bottom of the tub.

Three years ago, I would have been freaking out from him seeing me naked. I would be shrieking at him to get out of the bathroom, and throwing everything in sight. I would feel my hormones going high, hot, and heavy for him too… I looked at the scars on my breasts, the one beneath my belly button, and the area where my curls had grown back after shaving them the night before I was hit by the bus. Then I looked up and stared at the wall.

Where had I changed? Really, when had I changed? I was comfortable in front of people in nothing but a bra and underwear the majority of the time, I had a habit of undressing in front of people, and I was 10 times more aware of what I did with my hair.

_It's called, you got comfortable, you accept yourself, sorta. So you just don't give a damn._

I blinked a few more times before shutting off the water and opening the curtain. A towel was dropped on my head and I fought back a sound before wrapping the cotton item up around my chest before looking at Zabuza with a small frown.

Two years ago, I would have been ecstatic to meet this man, and Kisame for that matter, I would have been terrified, as well as highly cautious, but here I was, in only a towel, shortly after throwing a bar of soap at his head, not terrified except when he made initial moves to make me so.

I moved out of the bathtub with a small, "Things DO change." And soon began to rub myself dry, ignoring as he was watching me now with a rather cold expression. I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle and shut my eyes for a few moments before glaring back at him. The lack of privacy while bearable was not appreciated. When a bra and a pair of underwear was handed to me, I looked them, then back at him before starting to put it on. A large shirt was shoved to me and I blinked several times now before sitting on the floor at his feet.

The shirt obviously wasn't his. It was twice his size! He crouched down for a few moments before there was a muffled grumble from inside the room, I watched his pupils travel to the corner of his eyes and an almost annoyed sounding response come back from him before he pulled the shirt a little forward. Showing a bit more of my collar making me flinch and raise a brow.

He tapped my scarred shoulder though looking at me now in the eye, then put his finger to his lips making, "Shh." Sound behind his bandages. I slowly looked at it, before looking back at him as he wiggled his finger back and forth. I considered it for a few moments, before bringing my pinky finger up making him stare before looking at me with a confused look.

He reached up and interlocked his pinky own with it and we brought our hands down in confirmation. We'd keep my shoulder for the time being, a secret. Standing up to his full height, a pair of sweat pants, ones that would fit me I took it, dropped into my lap before I got to my feet and began to try and put them on.

Another wave of nausea hit me and I almost keeled over. An arm tucked around my side and I looked up for a moment at him before steadying and getting the sweats up my thighs and settled on my hips before I grabbed my shirt and began to tuck it in making so the areas around my neck were tight. He gave his nod of approval as it completely hid my shoulder before grabbing my arm lightly, then pulling me with him out of the bathroom.

The floor that was beneath my feet was hot and annoying, but my toes felt really cold. I wiggled them in place for a moment before looking up and around then at the shark man that was sitting in the same chair with a blank look. I looked at Zabuza who glanced at me, then back to him before speaking.

* * *

"She seems to be doing better, what ever drug you gave her seemed to work."

Kisame slowly blinked and looked from him to the girl, frowning as she looked at him with a blank tired look, damp and stringy hair, and a rather calm feeling. Zabuza's hand came up and rested on her shoulder, the shark stared at the almost possessive gesture and watched as the girl looked up slowly at him, then poke the soft spot of his side making him flinch. He glared at her while a small smile came to her lips.

"Apparently so." He looked back at the younger shinobi who immediately glared at him. Hand tightening on the younger female, then relaxing slowly. Kisame glanced at her, then back at him, "What, bedded this one Zabuza and decided to keep her cause she's that good?" At the man's flinch and glare, Kisame blinked and watched as he slowly placed the female behind him. A protective gesture.

"Don't be stupid, I have no intention of romping with her. I'm indebt to the brat."

"Then perhaps I should have a taste." The shark made to get up and the snarl from the man made him pause. He blinked before slowly sitting back down and watching the stare from the man pierce into him like a red-hot blade.

"Not. A. Chance." The demon hissed. Slowly Kisame leaned forward, watching the two quietly and seeing the girl not holding a horrified expression, but her hands in the shinobi's tank top's back and tugging lightly. Of course Zabuza ignored the girl, and the shark took notice as she looked up and down his back and then gave another tug. He whipped around, "WHAT!?"

Her hand 'thumped' on his forehead making Kisame stare for a few moments, then start to laugh as she tugged on the bandages. She wanted to change them apparently. Slowly the demon stood to his full height, listening to the laughing of the man in the chair, and put a hand on the side of his face and groaned into it as he peeked through his fingers at her with a look of distaste. She had been getting better at the bandaging before she had been sick. He noticed she was pale still and slowly sighed.

Fine, it would tire her out, he'd make her eat something, then have her eat and take some medicine before sending her back to bed. He grudgingly yanked his tank top off and handed her a kunai, watching as she began to cut the bandages away. He would allow the waste since they were dirty and he did need the wounds, starting to get better and better each day, to be cleaned. He sat down on the floor and ignored as the snickers of the shark slowly died. The two males staring at each other before she was back beside him and crouching. She looked between them and then back at Zabuza.

In a flittering motion, she wiggled her fingers and pointed to her nails, then pointed at Kisame. The man followed her direction and looked at the shark's hands….

To find nail polish. When had that started? The image of the male painting his blue toe's nails and fingers made the demon start to shake and then full out laugh. He saw the displeased expression from the sharkman who got to his feet and grabbing a pillow, bashed him over the head. He continued to laugh how ever and even harder as the shark used the pillow on the girl making her yelp and duck for cover.

Chortling along as the only female of them ducked underneath the bed, and Kisame moved into the bathroom, he shook his head slowly, feeling in a much better mood before waving his hand lightly and hearing her shuffle out. Soon she sat back beside him, wavering lightly before beginning her task. He felt warm clean water against the wounds and shut his eyes lightly before glancing at her over his shoulder as she went about her task.

Okay.

So she wasn't absolutely horrible when she was awake. At least she tried to put him in a better mood.

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**A/N:**Alright! Sorry for the wait, between the three essays I had to get done, the lack of sleep, and the insomnia that was causing it, I haven't had much time. So here you are. Now. See that button down there? Press it and tell me what ya think! See ya next chapter!


	13. Magic

**A/N:** Thank you to the **Obscure Stranger, The_Pie_With_The_Face, Xiaahandrus, Kitten652, XSweetXSourXSoul, CaptainJuice,** and **Lazyninja 09** for reviewing all reviewing. Now, next chapter, **I may bring Kris and Heather in** it's up to you. The pairings will be **Hidan/Kris** and **Heather/Deidara** if this is to occur though, so I need some input from you all.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, I own Cassi, and anything that came out of her head.

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* * *

**Magic**

A few moments passed after I finished the bandaging of Zabuza's back before he glanced over his shoulder at me. I stared for a few moments at him then frowned at this eyes. They held that glossy look again like he could cry, but there was no way for him to. Or no will for him to. The stupid ass was like all typical shinobi after all, no crying. I frowned for a moment before slowly reaching up and resting my hands gently on his shoulders after moving in front of him.

I dunno what possessed me to put my head against his and shut my eyes after I saw his own widen. I simply let my arms slowly wrap around his head before inhaling in his hair then letting go and move away. A hand shot out and grasped me wrist making me slowly look back at him with a blank look. The quiet held between us before he tugged lightly and I sat down in front of him now.

See, I had this thing, I didn't tell people usually. Only Kris and Heather, my unrelated sisters seemed to know about. Other's took it that I just knew them well, or that I was able to read them enough for it. But my thing was I was slightly empathic. It didn't make sense and it never did, but if they were feeling wrong… I could tell. Through chat, through talking, through their faces. It wasn't hard to tell when something was wrong. My ex thought I just knew him well, no, it wasn't just him I could put emotions to.

I looked over at Zabuza as his hand came up and rested on my head lightly. I grunted as my hair was ruffled and the bigger, older, man just stared at me with a simple look in his eyes now. His form relaxed back onto his hand as it held his weight before he let out a simple sound. I simply remained as I was, quiet, aware, and focused on him.

_What are you his nanny?_ Mordicus mumbled lightly. I glared away from him at the side of the wall now in my annoyance.

Shut up you. I gave him a mental kick and felt satisfaction at the yelp that echoed in my head before looking slowly back at the shinobi expressionlessly. The bathroom door opened and we both looked at the shark only wearing a pair of pants and a towel over his neck and shoulders. I almost shivered at the sight of the muscles and licked my lips unconsciously before looking away. Now THAT was a sight. Call me desperate maybe, but the bastard was good looking. I just had a startling reminder of why I had become a fan of his.

My hair rose on the back of my neck as I heard him move across the room and past me before a hand launched out and grasped my arm. I yelped as I was yanked forward, meeting Zabuza's chest all to easily and laying between his legs. I looked up confused to see him glaring at the shark that had crouched behind me.

The quiet held a bit more before I slowly looked at Zabuza then squirmed. Turning around so my back was against his front and his arm loosened before tightening underneath my breasts now. I let out a small sound then looked up wincing trying to convey it was to damn tight. He of course.

Ignored me.

There was a laugh from in front of us drawing our attention forward.

* * *

"Rather protective neh?" Kisame murmured smirking now at the demon who was staring from above the head of the woman against him. The quiet continued before Zabuza's eyes narrowed lightly.

"I was serious, I don't trust you." The shark frowned for a few moments before disappearing. Zabuza let out a snarl as the girl was yanked him from him. Hearing her let out a yelp as well while the shark did nothing but hold her, setting her lightly on his hip and keeping a hand firmly under her backside while the demon watched instinctively as she clung to the torso of the blue man.

Slowly Kisame glanced down at the brown hair covered head of the girl, then back at Zabuza slowly raising a brow, "Oh?" He murmured softly. The demon let out a low growl getting to his feet. "Hn." The 31 year old stared disapprovingly at the younger before glancing at the female in his grasp. He looked the 18 year old's form up and down before looking back, "I don't see why you insist on clinging to her."

_She's Mine After All…._ His instinct hissed. He ignored it and threw it to the back of his mind while Zabuza simply moved forward slowly.

"Give her back old man, she's got me in a debt, and I'll not have her dead or worse before I can repay it." The elder shinobi raised a brow at this before looking at the girl who looked back up.

"What'd you do to him hmm?" He questioned lightly, "What little spell did you put on him to make him territorial?" He watched her face scrunch lightly and her eyes squint in confusion before he chuckled lightly and set her down. His eyes taking in the tightness of the shirt around her shoulders and shrugged it off for the time being as he placed a hand between her shoulder blades and shoved her lightly. She took the cue and immediately moved to the demon who rested hand on her right shoulder and tugged her behind him.

He stared at those two sharp blue eyes watched from behind dirty glasses as she eyed him now from behind Zabuza, he laughed lightly and blinked as the taller and younger shinobi paid no mind to the 'peeking' out he was now in participation of.

Slowly he sighed and then looked back at Zabuza who kept a hand back on her shoulder before slowly bringing it away and murmuring calmly, "It's just a simple debt."

"Oh yes, I'm sure." He murmured simply smirking shaking his head. The boy was interesting, but his pet was as well and that was what got him curious. Zabuza didn't take to things or people unless they had some use to him. "So what's this one capable of boy?" He watched those dark brown eyes flash dangerously. Lowering himself into an armchair he eyed her again as she continued to remain behind the other rogue.

"…Nothing that concerns you."

"Oh?" The shark tilted his head lightly before looking back at the small creature that remained mostly hidden from his sight. The small form, the eyes… they were so familiar, but from where? He sighed lightly and shut his eyes, "So it's sexual then?"

"No!" The man snapped exasperatedly, "I have no intimate relationship with the girl! It is Strictly Business." Kisame chuckled as the man was getting frustrated, and tired of the argument. It was just hard to imagine his younger counterpart to have any relationship with anything female that wasn't for pleasure. Zabuza rarely worked with women as they were 'too damn annoying' as well as 'a waste of my time.' Unless it was to satisfy his needs. He also doubted that a debt would hold the man so firmly in place in the ownership, or claim on her.

While it may give a vague one, the one that the scarred and still wounded boy put up was that of strong determination and outright hostility towards him even coming near her. IT was curious, as well as puzzling.

It baited him all the more to chase after her and find out just what the younger rogue was hiding from him that he so desperately didn't want him to find out. HE grinned lightly looking at the girl who immediately glared from behind her glasses. "I doubt it's her fiery attitude."

He turned his gaze back to Zabuza who threw his arms up in the air and let out a frustrated snarl before turning lightly and grabbing the girl's shoulder. Shoving her towards the bed with a simple grunt. She slowly shook his head and he pushed with more insistency.

The shark didn't think he laughed nearly as hard as when she sat on the shinobi's feet and crossed her arms, glaring up at him with a simple look. Clearly, she was not going to do as the demon wanted. Covering his eyes the shark managed to get his laughter down to simple snickers before hearing Zabuza growl lightly. "You got to have a firm hand with them. Zabuza. Kids can be tough." The girl growled lightly and he blinked for a moment. "Clearly you haven't shown her who is dominant in her situation."

"Funny, she didn't start giving me that hard of a time till YOU showed up." Was the growl of the demon, he crouched down and they stared at each other. Kisame observed quietly as the man pointed slowly at the bed and made a soft grunt. They continued to stare before the girl's simple reply was to look over her shoulder at the bed, back at him, then shake her head.

Well that was simple enough, she didn't want to sleep. Kisame supposed he could understand, if there was a large blue man in the room, as well as the only male he knew being extremely cautious around him, he wouldn't want to sleep much either. He slowly got to his feet though and moved forward standing beside Zabuza who immediately tensed as the shark crouched beside him and crossed his arms while resting them on his knees.

* * *

I stared for a few moments between the two as they crouched down in front of me and then blinked. Turning my gaze to the floor now, I began to think through what exactly just happened. Zabuza wanted me to go to bed, I wasn't tired. Kisame came over, and now they were both crouched like two fascinated kids watching a fish tank in front of me. I looked up from my bowed head position at them and frowned.

Why was it always the weird or unstable I had a habit of attracting? I think the most normal friend I ever had was my kohai and little sister like friend, Heather. And that was it. I grunted as blue hands caught under my arms and I was lifted. I let out I think the equivalence of a yowl as I was thrown over a shoulder and then walked, then promptly dropped onto the single bed in the room.

Zabuza stated something rather loudly and angrily making me wince as he was quickly moving forward while Kisame had sat down beside me. I blinked up slightly dazed before sitting up. A hand slammed onto my collar knocking the wind out of me making me gasp before I soon was coughing. Hands turned me to my side making me hiss but soon manage to wheeze in a couple of breaths of air. I grunted as a body was lining my back and soon frowned, squirming before Zabuza was in front of me.

The quiet became most apparent as he laid in front of my form, arm slung over my waist tugging me into him. My eyes widening and my hands coming up to his chest immediately. I felt his nails dig into my lower back and while that place usually hurt as it was, I flinched and let out a hiss anyways. I soon grunted as his fingers found the knot and began to dig into that.

_Well it seems they've found different methods for making you ahem 'go to bed.'_ Mordicus mumbled lightly, I had to agree all the more with him, but this was just ridiculous. I wasn't that sick! I was feeling fine actually! _Liar._

Shut the Hell Up Mordicus!

A hand rested lightly on my neck and I flinched immediately at it before turning my head to look over my shoulder at the shark with a lidded gaze. He seemed to be holding a concentrating look on something before he began to tap his finger on my neck lightly. I recognized it as my pulse point and instinctively ducked my head so his finger was blocked and shuffled closer towards the shinobi in front of me. Hearing him snicker as I did so.

Something in my mind though urked me to move towards the shark, I threw it to the side though and told it it was full of shit. Kisame wasn't scary persay… okay, I'm lying, he was terrifying, but that was beside the point. There was no way in hell I was willingly going to just roll over and cuddle to him. And there was no reason in my right mind that I should! I had more reason to remain with Zabuza than I did with this threatening shark man…

Zabuza was threatening too though… I looked up to see him glaring over at Kisame with his hard brown eyes before they moved down to me. Just as hard and he mumbled something. It was no doubt 'go to sleep.' Given the situation. Slowly I simply frowned and then blinked at him before he glared harder at me. Ya know the more he did that the less effective it was starting to become for me….

I sighed though and let my head bury into his chest grudgingly. He let out a sound of satisfaction as I felt his arm settle at my waist before actually starting to let myself try and drift. Surprisingly it happened quicker than I thought it would.

* * *

"You are attached to her." Hissed the shark with a wheezy snicker as the girl, or was she was woman? In the demon's grasp fell all to easily into a slumber. Slowly Zabuza lifted his lip behind his bandages, and verbally growled in his frustration.

"Shut up old man, and you go to sleep too…" They all needed their rest truthfully. Zabuza was having a hard time going into an even remote state of 'sleep' though. He did not have feelings for the girl. 'Cassi' or what ever she called herself. She was simply the one holding his debt, and soon to be his property. It was appropriate to be possessive of his property was it not? He slowly let out a breath against her hair and let his face bury into it.

She made him amused at least, and made it so he was alive as well. Though she was a bit of an idiot, he could see himself training her with those little creatures she had and what not. Slowly he glared at the shark who rolled onto his back staring at the ceiling. He could NOT let Kisame find the bite on her shoulder. As that would bring up curiousity even more so than it already was, and he couldn't allow the shark to threaten her life either. Or he could, it would be his way to repay his debt. But never the less, it didn't count if he was the reason she was put in that position.

HE let out a soft hiss and then stared down at her.

_You're just becoming more and more a pain in the ass you know that?

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_

A/N: Alright, that's the end of that chapter. If you didn't read above, read it, and then in your thoughts, and reviews, tell me what you think. Should I bring them in, or shouldn't I? Up to you! Ciao till next time!


	14. One Little Ghost's Ponderings

A/N: Thank you **Xiaahandrus, XSweetXSourXSoulX, kitten652, Lazyninja 09, **and **The_Pie_With_The_Face** for reviewing.

I may or may not bring Kris and Heather in. Heather's favorite has gone from Deidara to Kakuzu so it would be interesting and the two would be able to stay together for a while. We'll see how everything plays out.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Roman, Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

**Disclaimer:** I own what's in Cassi's head, and herself.

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**One Little Ghost's Ponderings**

The small ghost smiled lightly at the scene he was seeing in the waters of life, his previous master's head buried into the girl's hair, the larger blue man close to her curled towards her smaller form, having a rather deep connection still. He was glad he was able to find her after he died with the last bit of his physical life energy left. After all, They had said it had to be someone with a connection to the world, someone with physical evidence they were now apart of the world he once was…

While of course the methods of extracting her had been… unorthodox and rather incompliant to her life, the goddess he struck a deal with had said that one journey must end to begin another. So… he felt a pang of guilt move through him, he had taken advantage of one ended life to begin it elsewhere. He clenched his pale hand lightly before hearing a soft breath then a small giggle, looking up and to his left, into the white mist that had been accompanied him since his last breath, he glared around with his large soft chocolate eyes.

_"At ease child."_ The female voice echoed around him in a whisper, the fog surrounding him darkened and he frowned lightly before raising his porcelain face and glancing around. The woman that emerged from the engulfing mist moved forward, a black dress sweeping behind her being part of the mist. The silence of the limbo held as she came forth and leaned against the well that held the waters of the living. The boy's long black hair swished at her movement's disturbing the air around him. His eyes hardened if ever slightly as she smiled slowly at him.

"So I heard you made a deal with Anubis for the girl, boy." She whispered softly, eyes lidded and breathing soft. The once tool took a step back but held his foot down slowly, "I were very interested to hear this…" He felt a shiver as the queen of the underworld smiled at him genuinely, her dark blue eyes holding the same innocence his own did. "I have one of my own on the way." He blinked as she flinched, glancing down at the scene in the water.

Slowly Haku looked up at her with a frown, her eyes slowly becoming half-mast and a frown on her lips, "It is such a shame, as she was such a nice girl too…" She sighed lightly before smiling at the picture before the both of them, "One of her friends is one of my daughters. And from what I hear, little Diana has her own coming soon… who knows though these days." She gave a shrug and then scowled, "Is she being suitable to your master as you wished?"

The innocent boy slowly nodded, looking back down at the sleeping female between the two. He watched as she slowly rolled so she was on her back, one arm above her head, hand partially closed. He watched her eyes open and stare up at nothing in particular as the goddess remained behind him before smiling leaning forward. "It's rather cruel… to leave her all alone in a world where she has no one but a man bound to her and her now bound to him." Haku's eyes narrowed at this before staring at the marks on her wrist. He remembered Zabuza using those on hostages once… it let him monitor several things.

Heart beat, vitals, position, she wouldn't be able to go far either unless he said so. He blinked as she sat up before slowly turning his head and looking at the woman behind him. The quiet retained in the Limbo he was laying in before he murmured softly, "You want to make a deal with me as well." She nodded, "I'm not interested…." He looked back at the female that was laying beside his master and slowly shut his eyes, "Zabuza sama only needs one to take care of him… and whether she wants to or not, eventually Anubis sama's child will become bonded to Zabuza sama."

"Are you so sure there little boy?" The woman hissed softly, eyes narrowing, "What if the shark finds out what you did hmm? What if he finds that bite mark he placed on her a couple of years ago."

Light pink lips slowly moved into a smile and chocolate brown eyes shut happily. "Zabuza sama is very stubborn, he will not let go once he decides something is his. But… Kisame san seems to be the same way…" He opened his eyes slowly before frowning then murmured softly, "They might learn how to share." A laugh came from the goddess behind him before she began to slowly dissipate into the mists around her.

"Think on your actions." He looked over his shoulder something and then narrowed his gaze. While another person would help her handle his precious person, he doubted that he would be tolerant of it, Zabuza himself had admitted under the influence of sake his tolerance for females was minimal as well as he didn't like socializing much when he could help it.

Another person would cause him to become rather irate quickly, and lose concentration, but then again, he doubted the gods and goddesses needed to make deals with someone as trivial as himself to bring forth one of their own children into another world.

Anubis when he had made his deal even said so himself, he saw a profit in this. He was the guide to the dead after all… so now the death of his one of his child would help guide a dead man away from the depths of the underworld. He had also said, while it was menial and simple, the children of today paid less attention to their Egyptian sign than the astrological ones. This annoyed him greatly and the "diamond in the rough" he was offering was in good favor for showing a proper respect for being born underneath him. Though he used proper lightly.

Haku paused recalling the words of the god in better detail.

"_She's a funny little thing. She'll help your man, boy whether she wants to or not because it's in her nature. She's a cusp. Born with the fire of the Leo and the stubbornness of the Taurus as much as that annoys me. But she's able to adapt quickly and she'll take care of him, she'll make it her duty to. There is a catch though."_

The catch being she already had connection to his world.

"_A few years ago she was bitten by the blue one in your world, he took favoritism to her when in her own world and decided that he would spare her out of the many that were massacred due to the fact she entertained him while he was there. He marked her as his property all ready. She has a connection to your world so it would be an easier transition than the painful process that many others would have to go through. And due to the way in which they came to her world, neither will remember what happened as a side affect… but it is highly likely that something will come back."_

"_But as it has happened to neither of them technically as of yet in your world, also remember that when the point of time comes where they would have met… he will remember what happened when he finds the evidence of his claim. Whether it did or not in his life yet is irrelevant as long as it still has happened in one of their lives, it has happened regardless."_

Haku himself did not care much of what process the god had spoke of, but he supposed it had to do with guess, of the deconstruction and reconstruction of a body into different worlds. He himself knew the process of coming here had been painful, but that was different as now he was simply in a limbo of nothingness but this well where he gazed through out the day. Loyal to his precious person and master till he would one day see him again in person.

It had been his choice to remain here and make sure that someone was watching over him, and it was in his eyes, the correct one. How ever he did have one worry about what the god had said about Kisame knowing her already. This was a dangerous fact, but he had watched as Zabuza had made this conclusion already and thus his own claim on her. The band around her arm would eventually change into something else and disappear as something else on her body once she became fully accepting of it.

Haku could only guess how hard it was for someone to submit to another's mere presence though. She clearly was not the type to do so… he shook his head and watched her turn her gaze to the spot on the ceiling where he stared down. The quiet held before he heard her thoughts through the water as clear as day as bubbles began to form.

"…aren't you dead?" Was the whisper that came from the first that popped on the surface, "I must be really tired…" He was surprised she was staring at him, but even more so she was talking to him. He didn't say anything though as he leaned back lightly and saw her eyes slowly shut and her form relax as an arm remained lazily over it. The third bubble on the surface of the water popped. "Must be seeing things…"

* * *

I let out a soft hiss as I woke up at what I could only guess was twilight, I was alone in the bed this time and the room was surprisingly quiet. Looking up and around I squinted and reached to the desk beside me, finding my glasses before pulling them on m face and sitting slowly up. I leaned forward lightly, my head was light but not bad, almost like a bad case of vertigo, and my stomach was easy. I felt hot and greasy though… it was so unpleasant.

Shutting my eyes I thought about the dream I had though. At some point I had rolled onto my back and began deep bit of thought. On how I got here, how I ended up between two men and one keeping me to him as a possession or a teddy bear. And then when I had opened my eyes from the dream… staring up…. I saw him.

I saw a dead boy… the hair on my neck rose at the thought and I looked around the room before rising to my feet, my knees tightened to keep myself upright before I noticed the soreness of my arm as it stretched out. Looking to my right shoulder I stared at my deltoid before tensing. There was a bruising and a dot in the center of it. Someone had given me shots…. I tensed slowly and glared before sighing lightly and rubbing my neck.

The quiet of the room and the absence of that familiar cold gaze was making me feel rather lonely. I remember talking with my dad before heading to school about being lonely. I remember telling him how I was happy with having a room mate… simply cause I didn't like to be alone. I let my nails dig into the back of my neck and drag roughly across it, leaving a heated trail in its wake. The pain feeling so pleasant to me for that few moments.

I really.

Do not like.

Being alone.

Slowly I looked up and around again, hopefully to see my grumpy companion or the new blue one who had made his presence to us before I heard Mordicus mumble in my head, _I don't think they're here at the moment Cass._

I didn't much either. Leaning over, I let gravity work on the weight of my body and with a 'thwump' fell onto the bed easily. There was a tightening next to me and I looked down at my pockets of the pants I was wearing… digging in the jeans I pulled the red I-pod out and slowly turned it on. Flipping through the songs before blinking several times I chuckled. He had changed them, Mordicus, for his own tastes. I didn't much mind that… I had made his tastes after all.

Scratching the back of my head I let out a low sigh. It didn't matter either way, quiet was actually a good thing compared to the talking provided by two men that would cause me only a case of mounting frustration and annoyance from trying to decipher their words. I heard light voices though soon enough, not anything of familiarity though and slowly rolled onto my stomach. Staring at the end of the room, I watched the entrance way for a few moments and saw the shadows of feet on the bottom of the doorway.

There was a fumbling of the door and then I heard the word 'kuso' from behind it. My eyes narrowed immediately as there was more fumbling. If I was correct… and I knew I was… Zabuza had a key.

Zabuza wouldn't have to fumble with the doorknob. The base of my ears immediately heated in a moment of panic before my body was moving across the room and to my bag. Grabbing it I found the closet and soon opened it. Silently I slipped inside and shut it before moving to the darkest corner and sitting. The silence continued as well as the fumbling with the door before it slowly opened. Loud footsteps accompanied by an annoyed tone went through the air, muffled only slightly behind the door my eyes were fixed on.

My breathing was soft and I struggled to keep it silent while my eyes shut slowly. Then I stilled at the darkness around me. My form relaxed against it and I slowly found my breathing easy and my mind going still.

_Take off the ring._

What about the cha-

_Don't worry about it._ I stared for a few moments ahead of me before slowly reaching to my class ring. The quiet that was held as I thought about it made me feel the tension in the small closet before I stilled. I couldn't rely on Mordi to solve all my problems like this, I didn't even know if I had one yet… I felt something in my bag and stilled in reminder of it…

My pen. Taking my hand slowly forward, as though the disturbance in the air was going to cause a problem, I pulled the slim cylinder out of the bag's open pocket and moved from my position on my ass to my knees. One foot in front of me, ready as there was more fumbling.

_Just let me out._

No. I would let him out here if I had to but what if it was just house keeping or something? This was a hotel of sorts, at least an Inn. They had to have house keeping right? There was some logical conclusion no doubt as to why there was someone in the room other than Kisame and Zabuza… I hoped anyways… With my teeth I pulled the cap of the pen off and felt the needle tip with my finger before letting my hand become a fist around it. It would only take one hole, so….

Was I seriously prepping here for something? I shook my head at the thought of it and felt the two necklaces around my neck bounce lightly as though in confirmation of my question's answer. Yes. Yes I was prepping. Perhaps spending time with the supposed to be dead rouge was making me a little more jumpy…

Or maybe I was just far more paranoid than I gave myself credit for, and that was saying something, because I considered myself almost beyond paranoid these days. I crouched slowly towards the floor, lower than before and let my left hand rest to balance me. More grumbling, more mumbling, more movement, I watched the shadows appear at the doorway of the closet entrance and felt my mind go blank as my body tensed.

My hand stung with the grip I held on the pen and the thumping of my heart in the ears and throat became most apparent. I swallowed the front in my throat and felt my hair shift if only slightly from the movement of muscle. My eyes slowly shut as I prayed from behind whatever coat was hiding me, that that door did not open as well as nothing came towards me. I was so hyped up on adrenaline, it would turn bad. My mind was too quiet except for that familiar ocean of whispers that were starting to get louder as the door fumbled for a few moments and another voice went through the air.

Then it stopped as I heard a slam against the door that made me flinch and fight back the urge to lunge forward. I felt my eyes widen in realization though distracting me from it. Fuck I had left my i-pod out on the bed! A voice cut through the air though that made me immediately still.

I recognized it as Kisame's, focusing onto it and simply listened as he spoke evenly and simply, my hand relaxed slowly on my pen before Mordicus brought up a good point to me I hadn't thought of before.

_Who said Kisame was Safe for us?_ That was a good point, Kisame never did anything besides watch me, smile at the antics pulled by Zabuza, and hit me with a pillow, but something about his eyes, the way he watched… it was so damn familiar yet so predator like it brought a shiver down my spine each time. I tilted my head and felt my bones crack making my eyes widen and tense immediately. There was that stillness in the room before I heard him simply continue after a long inhale. I hoped it was him that did the long inhale anyways, continuing to listen to him, I heard another man speak, one I didn't recognize, before he moved away from the door.

Soon the loud footsteps moved away and the quiet held all the more. I only heard Kisame breathing, something that I didn't find very comforting before there was the turn of the knob. I felt my form tense as it stilled once all the way turned and had yet to be pulled. As though I foresaw it though, I felt my form launch forward as it was yanked back forcefully. Pain blossomed in my left shoulder and I felt a sound exit me before feeling the pen in my right hand make contact with something and give. My eyes turned to it only to see the blue hand shooting towards me…

And then I slammed into the wall as his hand held tightly to my throat. I let out a gasp arching at the pain that was going through me as I was now a good ways above his head. My hands had moved immediately to his wrist pushing it down in an attempt to lift myself up, the hand on my throat squeezing tightly making me grimace and then still before any thoughts of attacking could be formulated in my simple minded brain.

Instead of flipping out though, I found my eyes traveling down to see where I nailed him with the pilot narrow inked pen and stared as it stuck out of his right shoulder. Slowly I looked to his face, lips in a grimace as he was staring at it distastefully as well before turning up to stare at me with a menacing scowl. I shot a glare back before he blinked once, twice, and then something crashed behind us. Immediately our gazes turned to stare at Zabuza watching the two of us before kicking the bag he dropped in and shutting the door with a puzzled look in his eye.

He looked slowly from the open closet door, to Kisame, to me, and then let his gaze meander to the pen in the shark's shoulder. I watched his dark orbs take a moment to gain comprehension before his shoulders started to shake and a laugh spilt from him into the world. I didn't relax despite the mental guard that had immediately shot up at his moment of quiet before his laugh, due to the fact of the shark keeping a good hold on my throat. Slowly swallowing, I watched the Akatsuki's eyes shoot back to me and narrow while I looked down at him and gave him my best, 'shit, my bad.' Look.

Zabuza's laugh only seemed to get harder at this while the shark gave me what I could only think of in definition as, 'Seriously?' disbelieving look. I felt his hand release and fell to the floor, landing on my backside in which I coughed only slightly from the lack of air tactic that was administrated to me. Glancing at my left shoulder, I watched the blood ooze from it silently from where the kunai had sliced; I guessed it to be such that made the cut, seeing as there was one lying outside the closet door now with a tint of red on the last bit of dying light coming from the window.

Moving forward I watched Zabuza murmur something only to watch as the blue man yanked my favorite pen from his shoulder than tossed it to the side before glaring at me lightly speaking roughly. I rubbed the back of my head and looked down at the floor for a few moments, apologizing once again in one of the few Japanese words I knew how.

I didn't expect any actual signs of forgiveness for it though, but then again I didn't really want any either. I was sorry, but seeing as he slammed me against the wall by the throat for it, I also thought we were pretty even.

_Soooo it is a good thing you didn't let me out then. We didn't need me doing shark fillet on him._

Rolling my eyes I fought back a frown.

No, I was betting that was one of the LAST things we needed.

* * *

"So you opened the door and she stabbed you with the pen?" Was the amused sound from the demon as the shark was glaring at the wound in his shoulder, not to worried about it as the ink only hurt slightly and the pen itself while a sharp little thing was not the worst thing he'd ever had shoved into his skin unexpectedly.

"Yes Zabuza, I thought you were teaching her ambushing techniques when she was more developed." He spat back through gritted teeth. He watched the younger man shake his head back and forth and chuckle before moving and crouching in front of her.

Kisame watched with interest as the girl immediately looked towards him and then up at Zabuza who began to examine her shoulder with little to no coaxing at her to obediently show it to him. The quiet retained for a few moments between them before he stated simply, "I didn't teach her to do that." He glanced over his shoulder with a lidded gaze before continuing, "I think the house keepers scared her and like the pansy she can be, she hid. She probably recognized your voice when you stopped them from opening the closet. Or she didn't, thought you were someone dangerous and came at you in hopes of ending your life…" He looked back ahead and stared at the blue-eyed female in front of him watching him with a look of frustration and confusion.

"But I highly doubt that. She doesn't know how to kill yet." He grabbed her arm yanking and watched her get to her feet. Obediently enough he felt her follow him as he moved her into the bathroom and began to get a needle out of a small bag he had and thread. Watching her tense he glared at her lightly only to see her glare right back back.

Kisame frowned for a few moments before tilting his head and murmuring simply as he walked to the bathroom door way and leaned against it, "So you think she just randomly stabbed me then. Not a bright one you've found yourself indebted to. I've killed others for doing less."

He simply got a 'tch' before watching as the girl shook her head towards the needle he was threading with a look of horror, disgust, and out right stubborn refusal. As he took a saucer to the side and handed it to the demon who filled it with water, starting to heat he, he watched as her eyes narrowed and her form tensed before getting up and moving away. The sound in the room was filled with dark amusement before Zabuza murmured simply, "Wanna help?"

The shark actually gave a low chuckle at the thought before shrugging and moving forward slowly like a cobra rising up before he launched forward. There was a yelp and a cry as his shoulder collided with her chest and she slammed back into the bathroom wall. Falling limp on him for a moment the shark felt a moment of satisfaction for the pen stabbing before he felt something in his back that tore him into disbelief, amusement, and outrage as he felt her teeth dig into his tank top and flesh. The shark slowly rose though, despite his contained emotions and drug the squirming creature with him.

Trembling no doubt in pain, anger and tears welled up in her eyes behind her glasses and hands clenched into fists he smirked to himself as he set her slightly in his lap and wrapped an arm below her chest and his hand tightening around her right arm. The silence held while Zabuza moved forward and to the shark's surprise, placed a hand on her head and gently ruffled her hair making a small sound that wasn't of comfort. But more of a silent command to calm down.

It surprised Kisame even more as she slowly obeyed, glaring stubbornly away as he dipped the needle into her skin and began to stitch up the long cut. It was not particularly deep but it was in need of them due to the nature and quickness of being dealt them. Unless they kidnapped a healer nin and while she might be something important at the moment to the lad, Kisame saw no reason she would be worth such effort, _ever._

His instinct snapped up how ever and smacked him mentally making him raise a brow at his own thoughts before shutting his eyes. He didn't particularly mind the fact she was in his lap, in fact he was pleased with it. As well as her breasts pressing to his arm with each breath she took and her back against his chest as he had leaned forward in a slouch over her . No, he didn't mind that part at all. But the way his instinct was acting around her was starting to bug him rather well. He had only been here a few days, and while some women immediately called to his mind to take what he wanted from him. They were never in this age range and never this young.

True, he had raped his fair share of women, he was no innocent man, he had also taken what he wanted from many kunoichi, as well as visited several brothels, like he and Zabuza did while the female was asleep. But they were elder women and more to his age range… and only a few of them had ever tried to stab him.

None of them had ever succeeded.

He felt bitter towards the fact that this pet of Zabuza's had managed to do so and with out much harm coming to her from it compared to what he could do. His instinct stirred again with the thought of throwing her down onto the floor and teaching her some real manners… once again he threw it back though and glanced at the shinobi that was doing his task with out much focus on the creature that was on his lap, or on Kisame himself.

* * *

The reason for that though was because Zabuza didn't give a damn. He was actually rather impressed the girl had managed to land a hit on the old man, whether he had been surprised or not. The simple gesture to calm her down, of touching her had not bothered him that much. Of the time they had spent in the cabin he had learned relatively quickly there were ways to get her to stop what she was doing.

It wasn't like had much else he could do at the time though. As he finished the knot of her stitches he blinked as she had a look of utter hate on her face and chuckled watching those cold blue eyes immediately turn to glare at him. Smirking darkly at her, taking pleasure at her pain and disgust for the needle, he threw it away into the saucer holding hot water from his chakra and grabbed her right wrist and yanked lightly on it. He watched his elder ex comrade slowly look at him and let go….

Too slowly for his liking. The girl was already to be his, despite the fact that right now he was still in her debt. Pulling her up against his form and a hand pressing to her lower back to keep her there, he demonstrated his claim of possession, watching the shark raise a brow to him as he did so as well. He felt her breath against his chest and glanced down for a moment before seeing her turn her gaze up to him with a simple frown that clearly asked 'what do you think you're doing?' But it was ignored.

They both knew without her little ring trick, right now, and even then, she was no threat to him. He mused over this for a few moments staring back down while she continued to stare up before letting her go and nudging her back in the other room looking at Kisame who simply stared back now with a small smirk and slowly leaned forward.

"The more you grab onto her the more I simply think you want her boy." The man scoffed at this notion before looking after the form that was shaking it's head and mumbling to itself in that language.

"I'm responsible for her. Don't forget that." He growled lowly back while the shark simply smirked at him now, his eyes flashed, "She's off-limits to you, I don't need her traumatized more than she already can become because You couldn't keep yourself controlled."

The insult was not left unnoticed as the shark slowly got to his feet, neither noticing as the girl had turned noticing the tones had changed between them. Quietly Kisame smiled to the man in front of him raising his brow again, "Oh? And you would know of control, Zabuza?" The demon's eyes grew darker, "You grab her like that and I think you may want her as much as I speculate you do."

"Your speculations are off of your own desires, do not put my own in the same category." He hissed softly in reply, the shark and demon tensed, ready….

When a cool voice broke through the air like ice.

"Kisame. Is THIS what has been taking you so long?"

* * *

A/N: Alrighty, sorry for the long wait, but there you have your update for this chapter. I'll come update again here soon, I'm not dropping my stories, I just have to find time to write with my busy schedule. So I hope to know what you guys thought of this one, and hope you enjoyed it. Have a day and see you next time!


	15. Killer

A/N: Thank you all for reviewing. I hope to hear from you guys again soon, and hopefully more of you as well.

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO!!!! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

* * *

**Killer**

The two-rogue shinobi looked up immediately at the new comer. The quiet, porcelain skinned Uchiha stared at them both for a few moments. The girl directly in front of him as his hands had planted on her shoulders, eyes wide and breathing soft as Zabuza could see her restraining the want to scream or run. He moved slowly from his stance before frowning at the younger shinobi who simply kept his face blank for the moment.

"Cassi." The non Akatsuki murmured, slowly the girl looked up at the familiar word, though he had never spoken her name before. Bringing a hand out he wiggled his finger towards himself and watched as she broke from the grip and immediately stopped in front of him. The male nudged her behind him and over the side into the shower before looking back at the Uchiha. Quietly he and Kisame both stepped out of the bathroom, looking over his shoulder he pointed at her and then down.

When he got a nod in confirmation, he shut the door behind him and heard as she locked it. Though that wasn't gonna stop anyone if they were trying to get to her, he still thought, _good girl_, never the less. His eyes narrowed as he leaned against the door now stating his position nonverbally as Kisame meandered across the room and sat down on the edge of the single bed. His eyes lidded before he looked up at his partner as he stood in the middle of the room. Quietly his partner glared at him, waiting for him to speak before a soft chuckle exited him.

"She's no whore Itachi san." He explained simply, "Just Zabuza kun's new pet. The poor bastard is in dept to the girl." A slow glare came up to the man that had crossed his arms over his chest and with a rise and fall of his shoulders said nothing other than the nonverbal. The Uchiha frowned lightly now, allowing an expression to finally cross his face before he spoke.

"So you're taking care of the girl Zabuza san?"

What did he care? Honestly… Zabuza rolled his eyes and slowly nodded before murmuring, "Hai, she's my charge." He didn't like how that tasted on his tongue when it was the opposite, but he didn't like how that felt in his head when she was weaker and unequal to him at the moment in general. Either way he didn't like it… Slowly he glared at the Uchiha again.

"And Kisame san…. You've been assisting him?" The silence took over the room at this, there was no real agreeing with this, or disagreeing. Kisame would admit he had helped Zabuza, but he wanted the girl out of this… slowly he glared at the younger who simply stared back with a blank face. "…AH… so you also have interest in this girl." Once again he would let the Uchiha do as he pleased.

He wouldn't let think as he pleased at the moment on the matter though. "She belongs to me." Zabuza's eyes flicked up while the shark interlinked his fingers and rested his lips against them before murmuring softly, "One way or another, she does." There was a scoff and he glared at the younger that stared back now.

"The girl can't belong to you." Was the growl that the demon hissed lowly, slowly he looked at the door behind him before continuing, "Wrong temperament for one of your many little pets." Kisame's head bowed as he laughed now and his hand rested on his knee as his eyes shut tightly.

"And who's to say she doesn't suffer from amnesia?"

"And you as well?" Snapped Zabuza glaring, the shark paused, that was a better point… quietly he looked down before stroking his chin with his thumb before chuckling getting to his feet and moving towards the younger.

"Perhaps there is some plan from some time ago that I set up." He suggested.

"Bull." There was a thump behind Zabuza making him glance behind him. Slowly he moved away and opened the door, seeing as two blue eyes glared up at him making him chuckle. He opened the door and reached a hand out feeling her smaller one soon with in it. Yanking her to her feet from her crouch he watched her step out before he murmured simply, "Why erase your memory if that's the case?" He stared at the shark for a few moment in thought after his own question before smirking. _Or did you never see her true ability, Kisame san?_

"Water." He grunted for a moment at the light voice that exited what he had become accustomed to being his usually quiet companion. Glancing over he saw her looking for a few moments at him pointedly before nodding. Keeping an eye on her he watched her pass over the floor and grabbed a plastic cup provided by the inn before moving to the sink beside him. Quiet as she filled the cup and simply sat down at his feet looking up, around, then taking a sip of her water making him frown.

Really Kisame could definitely have mark her, but that scar wasn't fresh by any means… he blinked and looked up immediately before murmuring, "She'd be under 18 when you did it though. If that were the case. Were you finally able to break what little moral coding you have about it or what Old man?"

"You two are worse than children." Itachi murmured softly glaring at them. His face showing his distaste as the two tensed again before he reached slowly for the kunai in hand glancing at the girl. She was a distraction… "Why not remove her from the situation all together and rid yourselves of such disagreements?"

"No!" Was the snap that came from the demon, body tensing immediately while the shark actually took a few moments to register what was saying. Slowly he let his muscles relax and his mind come forth to his instincts. Snarling and demanding to remove the threat in which he smacked them down. He let his eyes move to the girl and then narrow in a glare while her eyes continued to remain up on the situation. With a wink, he watched as water sprung onto her face and her head throw forward so it splashed to the ground. He chuckled softly before looking at the male that was ready to spring.

"You're correct Itachi…" Was the breath that exited him. Something in his gut clenched while his instinct screamed. He ignored the sensations both, similar to when he had first killed as a child before waving a hand, "From what I've seen…. She is rather useless either way." The Uchiha nodded and moved forward.

* * *

I wasn't quite sure what exactly was going on, but I didn't like it. Zabuza had been getting angry, and tense. And then he had moved in front of me as Itachi had began forward. Such movements weren't unknown to me but it wasn't like him to do that unless I was in danger. And I didn't really know what exactly was the problem here… the two had been arguing from what I gathered, and then the weasel showed up. Apparently causing a problem of sorts…

Or pointing out I was the problem. Which was rather annoying as it was, as I didn't see myself as the problem here except for when it was Zabuza and I and we were moving. Then I could see it. Right now I thought I was being moderately well behaved.

And that's when Zabuza crashed to the floor. My eyes narrowing as I spotted a kunai lodged into his shoulder, thankfully not into one of the old wounds, they had been healing well. My hand clenched as he reached up and grabbed hold of it before tensing up. I could see him about to spring forward as well before I did what I thought was the best course of action.

My arms shot up and grabbed around his waist while yanking back. The action took him off guard and we both fell to the floor with a thud, me letting out a grunt as the wall met my back and him snarling out in the process before glaring at me. I looked back at the gaze that was given to me before reaching up around him and pushing my glasses back up onto my face in the matter. Then looked at the bleeding wound.

He was away from me with in moments though, my eyes narrowing as he had shoved a hand onto my shoulder keeping me to the floor while he was back up on his feet in front of the two Akatsuki that were now on their feet.

It took me a moment, but as I stared at the situation I couldn't help but feel like…

They were trying to kill me, weren't they? I felt a cold resounding shock move over me at this and looked between Zabuza and Kisame, then over at the Uchiha that was staring at me. His eyes cold and emotionless. Dead. He was trying to protect me… my hands clenched at this and I felt my body going hot with in moments as fear was pulling on my throat, tightening around it. They would kill us both, more than likely me, Zabuza if he was getting in the way. My hands came together before there was a shout. Zabuza crashed beside me, blood continuing to gush from his shoulder making me grit my teeth.

Get up! I urged to myself now angrily as I felt my legs feel as heavy as lead, I couldn't just sit here and be a coward! There was to much of that already! I had to get up! I had to do something!

What could I possibly do against these two though? My eyes widened in thought to this before I felt a chill move through me again. My throat worked to swallow down air while I heard steps. My eyes slowly turned to the white pale feet in front of me. I heard a shuffling and in the shadow I watched as Itachi's arm raised.

_No one has to die here today. You know?_ A cool voice coaxed into my mind. My world stopped, if only for a moment as I stared at the shadow now.

I knew that voice, that voice that promised protection, and love, and something that would just keep me safe. Something that was like a mother's embrace, but also a demented sickening hiss. Something that was feral, and strong, determined, and blood thirsty.

A lot that I wished I was, but wasn't. My hands were still together and I let my eyes move to blood pooling from Zabuza as he was clutching his leg as well, I could see another kunai lodged into it. Not fatal, I didn't think so anyways. This was a man that had dug himself out of a grave after all…

And someone I was in charge to protect. This fact hit home and my hand tightened on my ring. I was weak, I was stupid, and I sure as hell wasn't anything special. I screwed up a lot, found the sweet aroma of sweat and rotting flesh oddly intriguing, as one of my friends actually had such happening to her skin underneath her armpits. I was stubborn as a mule, put up with too much shit, and would rather walk away from a situation than deal with it.

I wasn't the prettiest little slim waist girl you'd ever see, in fact I was more beefy, muscular wise, and had a rather bad streak of "fuck you I don't give a damn."

But I did have something I could use to keep him safe and I would use it. I didn't have much of a choice here.

I had to do something, otherwise I was gonna die here.

I yanked it off, throwing it and watching as smoke engulfed the room. My eyes narrowing as the scythe that She carried, was the first thing to catch my sight before it slammed forward and made the Uchiha jump back. I heard a grunt from behind me and immediately moved towards Zabuza, eyes narrowing and looking at the wounds he had this time.

The person behind me remained between myself, him, and the two Akatsuki members. But just like Mordicus, the monster behind me was of my own creation. I knew her well as she only showed up when something really important was about to go down. Her black hair was no doubt completely messed up, and unkempt. Her blades I knew were once again a scythe, but they were kusarigami lacking a chain or a weight. Simple staffs with curved blades.

Her body was athletic, and her eyes as red as blood, but her mouth held animal fangs and her hands claws. I looked over for a moment to stare at the female form that was leaning forward in readiness to attack as her mouth opened and a hiss ushered from it. A wave of dizziness coming from me in the process before I looked down at the scowling face of Zabuza.

He was not pleased. Funny, neither was I. Reaching forward I began to place pressure on the wound on his thigh after the kunai was removed. Recalling my earlier lessons I used the distraction of my character to my advantage and threw it. Of course, it was blocked but a hand on my own made me glance down to see Zabuza also placing pressure on the thigh wound.

They had better not hit his femoral artery, I would be very, very pissed. His bloody hand came up to my arm though as I began to move before I turned my head as his gaze locked me in place. Breaking it I spoke, "Oi. Killer." The woman looked slowly over at me. Eyes narrowed, I could see the feral intelligence behind them and felt a bit of pride before releasing it lightly.

I had yanked her out of her cage for this, but it was as she said, no one had to die. "Don't get killed." Oh boy, did I sound so manly and heroic. I shrugged it off and began to tear at my shirt, grabbing it and making strips of the bottom then starting to wrap his leg ignoring the grunt. I felt another bit of dizziness hit and knocked it back. Now was not the time to be wussing out.

Yet my chakra itself… I knew it wasn't anything up to standard. And wearing the ring didn't help it at all… my sight was already getting blurry as I heard her in the background attacking relentlessly before stopping. Something smacked hard into my head and my eyes found my ring beside me before I slowly grasped it, and noticing my hands shaking, pulled it onto my finger.

Her presence in the room, the high bloodlust that had lingered and her strength was gone with in a moment. The imaginary gust that came into the room making her disappear like dust in the wind. My eyes felt heavy but I fought against them as I stared at the dark brown that continued to glare up at me while giving him a tired annoyed expression.

Then I decided to speak to him now, "Hey teme." At his raising of brows, I continued, "Give me a break, I'm trying here. This guardian shit ain't easy." For a few moments, the silence simply remained, and then I leaned back and rubbed my face lightly hearing him get up with a groan.

I looked at him while keeping my hand supporting me up before watching his turn his gaze to me.

And then folks, Zabuza Momochi, promptly back handed me.

* * *

Now she had gone and done it. He supposed he should have expected it, she had after all taken it upon herself to save his life, as much as he despised the fact. But now she had shown the two why she was valuable. She had shown herself as a very capable weapon. Something he wasn't sure that he could keep her safe from.

Something he wasn't sure he could keep from being taken away from him. Zabuza got to his feet as her face remained turn the way he had hit her. Seeing her hand clench and her teeth bite into her lip as he managed to limp to the sink and grab a towel, shoving it against his shoulder. The quiet in the room continued before he watched her get up and walk to the bathroom. The door slamming loudly behind her, a picture falling and shattering and the lock of the door letting him know that she was more than displeased.

His eyes flicked however over to Kisame and Itachi who had not moved from their spot, both holding rather torn robes and Itachi's face more than displeased as he stared quietly at the demon who gave a now lazy look back. To make matters worse she had weakened her chakra supply. Had made it lower than it was before and now she was even more susceptible to getting into trouble.

"Well." He heard Kisame move almost nonchalantly, making him want to strangle the man for putting them into this position. His eyes narrowing almost hatefully in the shark's direction, this being no different from when they used to work together several years ago.

"This explains a lot."

No shit. He wouldn't mind ripping out their throats right now. In fact it would bring his great joy to see them writhing while their blood dripped out. Shutting his eyes he slowly sighed knowing he stood no chance at the moment before growling out, "Satisfied?"

"Very…" Was the coo the shark gave before smiling lightly, "This explains why you are so fond of her, as well as not for sexual means. A new weapon then." He then shut his eyes while crossing his arms, "So I suppose you were going to train her after teaching her how to talk."

"Kisame, shut up." Was the cool voice that came from his partner. He immediately glared at his partner that was staring at him now. "She could be useful to us with that ability."

"You can't have her." Was the snap from the demon, eyes narrowing into slits. Itachi's eyes shut in slight annoyance at the territorial response the man had to a simple female before slowly leaning his head side to side. Cracking it.

Wisely Kisame was keeping his mouth shut for the time being, simply because he didn't want more of an earful than he was already going to receive from the man. With ease though he leaned lightly forward murmuring softly, "Itachi san…. I have an idea."

"Your ideas as of late have become worse and worse.." Was the breath of the Uchiha, making the shark glare now, the little brat was usually respectful but right now he was just being annoying. He decided to speak anyways.

"Zabuza could become my _subordinate_." It would be killing two birds with one stone, on one side, they would get the girl, on the other side, another powerful man to join the ranks of the Akatsuki. He had a feeling he would be less than willing, but with the right persuasion, he would see their ways.

"To hell with that old man!" Was the snarl he received, his eyes lifting up and he slowly smirked while his partner was thinking it over. Zabuza's body was tensing, his shoulder having stopped and his breathing elevated, letting the shark know he was becoming more aggressive and in more ways than one. "You're Not getting the Girl."

"Well are you just going to leave her to fend for herself if we take her with us?" Was the cold hiss that was shot back.

Zabuza froze, eyes narrowing at this. In his current condition, he was in little to no shape to fight. At least, not with people of this level. But if they were only a little weaker… he still owed the girl though. Something that still pissed him off, and the fact that they could easily take her from him while he was in this state, and she was as she was now, weaker than before, wasn't making it much better.

He almost smiled at the underhandedness the cruel rogue that was his old comrade was showing. Things like this usually happened all the time, he didn't know why he expected any different for himself. However it was a scowl that continued to remain on his face as he said nothing. With a face like the one he was giving though, he didn't have to.

Smiling Kisame nodded, "That's what I though, Zabuza kun."

* * *

I sniffled as I wiped the last bit of heavy tears away from my face. Head bowing and anger moving through me. All I had tried to do was protect the bastard and he went and hit me.

The lousy ungrateful fuck…

_There's probably more to it than that._

I tiredly ignored Mordicus, I was too exhausted to deal with his shit right now. After all, he was going to talk whether I wanted him to or not, like that annoying gnat that buzzes in your ear when you're outside all day and they flock around you.

_ I highly resent that._

Once again, I decided to ignore him completely, I had more things to do than listen to him and one of those was figure out what the hell I was going to do. No doubt something was going to occur from my releasing of Killer, one of my characters. I didn't think he would have gotten mad if it wouldn't. But it did save our lives didn't it!?

_Well, at least yours._

That was a good point, it did save my life. She had done her job, but still I felt oddly pained at the fact the bastard had hit me. It seemed like this a lot though. I tried to help, and it spat back in my face one way or another. Shaking my head and groaning I rested my head against my hand while staring at the floor. My backside planted firmly on the toilet seat as I was in no mood to sit down there.

I was so confused… I did something to protect him, and he got mad. I suppose if the language barrier was gone, it would really help but as I wasn't all that good at picking up languages quickly, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. With a soft sigh I heard a jingling of the door hand and my foot came up and slammed against it, bracing my back against the toilet seat while glaring.

I was in no mood for anyone elses shenanigans. Right now I just wanted to wallow around in my confusion, misery, hurt, and anger. But as it seemed a lot since I got here.

I didn't get my way.

As I heard a foot slam against the door, I let my own go lax so I leaned into the seat and rested my feet on the floor. The door landing at the edge of them while Zabuza stared at me. I simply glared back, giving sort of the vibe of a cat when it hisses at you, bows up, and starts to growl. I wanted him to Go Away.

The response to this was he simply leaned against the door, staring at me with his arms crossed in a clear non verbal way of telling me he wasn't going to. My glaring continued before a minute or two passed and I felt my eyes move to the wounds that he had sustained.

Guilt panged and I let my head drop. Feeling tears again I tried fighting them back with a gritting of my teeth behind closed lips and a clenching of my fists. The need for him to go away came again, but I didn't bother looking up, that would mean he'd see I was crying. Why the hell would I show that to Him of all people?

_Well hell, he already saw you piss yourself, what else is there?_

Shut the fuck up!

I simply shook my head and began to take deep breaths, hearing foot steps and the door popped back up. I chanced a look as he slowly turned and moved so his back was leaning against it and his eyes shut. An audible sigh moving through his lips before I looked back down at the ground. Feeling my body jittery and my hands clench slightly.

I fumbled for a few moments, then tried an apology, my head moving up as I had said it but it stuttered in my mouth and flushing I looked back down at the ground.

I was crying, stuttering, and feeling ashamed. There were no movements before I felt a hand move up onto my head and flinched staring up for a moment. Stilling as it moved through my hair softly and another sigh exited him.

We made eye contact and I stilled as his head came down and rested to my own. There was silence as we simply stared before another wave of tiredness hit me. With a small groan I leaned back against the back of the toilet while he raised a brow and amusement was on his lips. I shut my eyes feeling and arm move underneath me and help to lift me to my feet before I stumbled/walked with him to the bed where I fell on my face and crawled forward.

I opened an eye, making sure he was still there before my head buried into the pillow in front of me.

Sleep just sounded far to good right now.

* * *

AN: HA! I FINALLY MANAGED TO UPDATE THIS SUCKER! Sorry folks, it was just trying to figure out how to work it while making it nice at the same time was rather annoying. And everything I did I was just rather pissed off at. So at nearly seven in the morning! I managed to do it! So, I do not know when I will be able to update again, I hope soon, but there's five more weeks of school left and I got a lot of shit to do. SO, this story is not dead. It's next update is just pending.


	16. How It Is

**A/N:** Oh My God…. Did She just… I think she…. No way… she… she….

UPDATED!

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**Shadowelf144  
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And now for the long awaited chapter of this freakish tale of two opposite people that meet and have to deal with each other's craziness!

Thank you to all of you who have been waiting patiently for this chapter! So here it is!

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

* * *

**How It Is**

The wind was blowing gently around me, the smell of dew was in the morning, my body was covered by a black cloak with a large hood that was up as small rain drops fell upon my head while the over cast clouds above us occasionally rumbled with thunder and flashed with lightening.

Yet to my right, Zabuza stood glaring quietly over at our two new traveling companions, his eyes flicking back to me with that harsh scowl whenever he got the chance and giving them a similar dose of his angry fit.

This was just me, but I really wanted to know what the hell had crawled up his ass.

_Maybe it has to do with the fact that we're following the emo and the shark man instead of walking on our own. You know?_ I rolled my eyes from underneath the shadow of my hood which was supplied by Kisame thankfully enough, before giving a scowl of my own. Of course that could be _one _reason why, but for him to keep up the angry glare from hell for the past two days, it possibly had to be more than one.

_Well maybe it's because now they know you can do that neat little magic trick with us, did you ever think of that, genius?_ Inwardly I recoiled at Mordicus's blunt reply before shutting my eyes and sighing. That was possibly a very good reason why, though I don't know how I would be of any use to them…

There were probably multiple ways I wasn't seeing though, however as I was never a morning person persay, who could blame me? Looking over at Zabuza again I saw him glaring at the ground as we continued to walk forward, the atmosphere between the four of us wasn't particularly strict persay, it was rather…ah… well, it was annoying, very annoying as the only sound that surrounded us was my footsteps, and that of nature.

Really he shouldn't be so angry, I mean, I did the only thing I could think of at the time that wouldn't get us both killed, well, more me than him, but they did hurt him and that kinda pissed me off at the same time. Not because I liked the jerk or anything, but because I DID already yank him away from an early grave as it is…

Even though he sorta climbed out of it on the way.

Sighing softly to myself I shut my eyes and shook my head, happy the coat I wore now was more of a trench coat fashion and water proof, going down to the middle of my shins while my sneakers moved across the ground and my back pack shoved across my back. In my backpack was my Akatsuki cloak, and a few supplies Zabuza had thrown at me yesterday when he was giving them to me. They included a compass, a good length of rope, a knife of some sort, and a small bag of toiletries, mostly feminine products. When he had handed those to me, there was a blush right across his face that he was trying, if I recall right, to blatantly ignore.

Oh, and some underwear and bra, all in all, my backpack had mostly clothes in it that were in vacuum sealed plastic bags while the other things were stashed between them. As Mordicus had mentioned to me before, this place was indeed a mix of feudal and modern japan….

I was starting to hate it really. Mostly because it had been at least over a month since I got here. I couldn't really keep track of the days as they had slipped by, but every now and then my mind would drift back home.

"Gaki." My eyes flicked up to stare at Zabuza the moment he spoke before he tilted his head to the side off the road we had been treading on, I noticed Kisame and Itachi had taken to setting down items and soon getting comfortable under a group of trees as a wind brushed past Zabuza and I, my eyes flicked up in thought and I looked at the clouds before exhaling through my nostrils, then breathing in, there was a smell that was too familiar to me before I moved with him towards the group of trees, a storm already well on it's way towards us.

It was sorta a day like this when I first showed up in this place, and I had to wonder, if my memory was serving right and I was indeed hit by a bus in my world… was it alright to assume I was dead? I looked at the ground after I sat down against a tree, hearing the others shuffle now and then before I looked at my lap.

If I indeed _was_ dead in my world… did that mean I was for sure, stuck in this one? It had been a thought that had wandered the back corners of my mind for a while now, something I had kept to myself and quiet in my head as to assure that it wouldn't come up and distract me. But as no one was talking to me or instructing me what to do, and I was stuck in this situation, I might as well bring it up now.

If I was stuck here, alone, as I was, the only person of my type from my world, that meant several things to me.

For one, if there was no going back, I was never going to see anyone again. Part of me felt dead and cold as this rested somewhere in the bottom of my stomach, my knees came up and I hugged under them, clasping my fingers and resting my forehead slowly against them. This was the worst-case scenario. If there was no going back, I would either die here, or I would have to adapt and leave my little cloud of safety and comfort that I had grown accustomed to. I would have to toss away everything my society expected me to do, and gain a completely new way.

Being a former military brat, that part didn't sound too hard, adapting was something I was… well, I was more experienced than a lot of my generation at it thankfully enough. But it wasn't something I liked being able to acknowledge. Neither was the fact I lost all my friends…

_And family._ Mordicus inputted bluntly. No, that was even worse, I had gotten used to moving as a kid, losing friends and gaining new ones, having people fade when they had left promises of staying with me until the end. Empty promises such as that, I was used to because either they moved, or I did.

But my family always stayed. My mother and father had always been there for me. Able to support me no matter what I did.

I felt my lips pull downward in a grimace as I winced, how much pain were my mother and father in, from me dying? Did I die? I would think so, not many people lived from getting hit by a bus. How were Kris and Heather fairing? My two sisters that weren't related by blood, would they manage with out me? Or would they be as lost as I was?

I didn't let myself cry, not in front of the three killers that surrounded me, but I did let my mind go still and cold like it liked to when situations that were abnormal to me arose. I let my eyes shut slowly as I listened only to the sound of rain and felt the cold that was moving through me.

All I had right now was my backpack, my cosplay materials, my iPod Mordicus brought to me… and a psychotic killer for my companion. Someone that I was to take care of, something that my instinct told me I needed to do and my gut agreed with it. But other than that and my life…

I had nothing; I had lost what seemed to be now, everything.

_You still have us._ Mordicus prodded and I almost gave a bitter chuckle, yes, I had my characters, my pieces of me that were brain children that had been around since I first thought them up in their original forms. And now they were not only my first defense, but also my only.

Slowly I let my head raise and shut my eyes resting it back against the tree behind me, inhaling and then exhaling loudly, "Damn it." I grumbled after a few moments of simply staring ahead of me after opening my eyes. Reality at the moment, while so amazing and horrifying it just couldn't be true, really…. Really.

Sucked.

Those chicks who wrote those frilly little stories about coming to this place and instantly falling in love with some character here just had no fuckin' idea. Letting out a breath I tried to focus my mind on something else, letting my eyes wander behind their glasses before looking over at the two Akatsuki members that were looking off to different directions. I studied Kisame for a few moments, before letting my eyes turn to Itachi. The fucker that tried to get me wacked.

I had no doubt in my mind that if it weren't for my little ring trick I would probably be six feet under as I speak this, however thankfully people like Kris existed in my world were around to teach dumbasses like me a thing or two about their own energy. Looking away I looked over to Zabuza who as staring at me, he wasn't glaring this time though so I simply raised a brow to him. Usually when it was quiet like this, just me and him, I found he would start to teach me to do things, like throw kunai as he had in the past month, but right now he wasn't moving, and I was getting the sense he had no intention of doing so.

Which meant I was screwed when it came to finding something interesting to do. Thunder boomed overhead and I glanced up at the tree cover above us before looking forward grimly, why did it seem to always rain around this place? Didn't anyone ever hear of sunshine and happiness?

Mordicus's laugh was all that was my reply as it echoed loudly in my head making me shut my eyes and give a small tired smiled.

_Hey! Hey Cassi!_ I blinked as he stopped laughing but I could tell by his face he had a smile on his face, _What would you do for a Klondike bar!_ I almost was baffled, before I slowly caught onto the joke.

I dunno what I would do for one, but I know what I wouldn't do. And that was fall into this fuckin' place. However right now was better than it could have been, so I suppose that it wasn't that bad if I took out all the background stuff that went with my former life. However taking out the background of the past 18 years of my life was damn near impossible, so right now, it was just miserable.

_Cheer up emo kid!_

I am not emo.

I scowled at the mere thought of being so, not that I didn't like their style, but really, emo just didn't suit me, it reminded me of the bastard over there's little brother…. Slowly I scowled at Itachi from under the shadow of my hood now and stared for a few moments, before I found his eyes flicking to me. He didn't say a word and I simply let my eyes swivel away.

God he was so unnerving.

_Coward._

Shut up.

Soon they began to talk, making my nerves, which had been slightly on end relax at the common sound. Silence after a while just didn't suit me, being with Zabuza and unable to talk and understand him at times was frustrating, but it didn't stop him from grumbling and causing some sound. The feeling of being in a social atmosphere though occasionally wore on me was a comforting factor as well as a familiar one. The talking between the two soon became three and I felt a small smile came to my lips before shutting my eyes once again and relaxing back into the tree behind me.

_Right now would be a good time to practice. Or let us out at least until the storm passes ya know?_

I let my eyes open at this and crossed my arms shifting at the thought while staring at the ring, for now that was out of the question until I had an idea of what exactly I could do. If I took the ring off and just let the chakra do as it pleased, then who knew what could come out! And then there was the fact that I didn't know what I could even do… if my chakra was manifesting itself into my characters… perhaps there was a way for me to make it so it manifested into other things.

Reaching up I sighed and pulled the hood back and shook my hair out of my face before grasping the hair tie around my wrist, pulling it off and then following to pull my hair back before I yanked my hood up over my head and then looked ahead of me again with a frown, before letting my eyes drift back down the circle that was usually on my finger since 10th grade.

_C'mon, let us at least play a little… or you play, do you know how cooped up it gets when you place that little blocker on?_

No, I couldn't say I did but at the same time I wasn't willing to risk it just yet, there was something unfavorable about trying it out here and now, particularly after last time Killer being the one to come out and attack the two Akatsuki members not five feet from me. I must have been staring at the ring for far to long before soon a hand came grasping the front of my hood making me grunt as it yanked forward. Looking up I cast a glare at Zabuza who simply gave a lazy look in return.

He seemed to be done with his mild bitch fit about what happened two days ago and I managed to give him a half hearted smile, which he made no move to return, which I took to be as normal as the sky being grey when it was raining like it was now. Slowly I decided to lose the smile and stare at him for a few moments, his eyebrow rose, and soon my own mimicked, "You know you're a real downer at times." He stared blankly at me before I simply bowed my head and shook it, "But of course you are. Grunt and point, cave man style, that's what you communicate with."

He continued to stare at me for a few more moments, before I found his form lunging and my own flinching back. His arms landed on either side of me and my back hit the ground as he stared down and I laid for a few moments looking past him at the tree tops. I couldn't place it… but… something was…

Off.

Slowly my hands came down and pressed onto the ground underneath me before I shoved up. Pain entered my forehead, something I managed to pass up with only a wince while staring at him lean back holding his chin wincing as well. Laugh began behind us and I glanced over my shoulder at the shark like man laughing at what I guessed was probably both of us. I looked back ahead and stared at Zabuza who was glaring at me now making me scowl back.

"You asked for it." I mumbled after a few more moments, before squirming out from under him and then getting to my feet brushing myself off. "Ass."

_Seems you're gonna get a bit of a headache from that one._

Shut the hell up Mordicus.

* * *

Well it seemed she was highly irritable today. Zabuza stared up at her for a few moments as she rubbed her face lightly and looked out from under the branches they had taken shelter under, his eyes looking her up and down for a moment from his spot on the ground. He wasn't good at the whole comforting thing, he never had been, though he didn't really want to move towards her after head butting his chin.

Slowly he glared at the shark man though and then murmured, "What the hell are you laughing at Hoshigaki?"

"Your little friend doesn't seem very pleased with you at the moment." Countered the blue man with a soft hiss, "Maybe you should try and take a little off her edge, instead of dancing around with a razor." Zabuza glared at him before looking back up at the teen staring out, her eyes lidded behind her glasses before her head bowed and was covered in shadows again.

She had been gloomy like this for the past hour or so, something that was different from her usual demeanor, and he didn't like it. At least when she was staring off into space she got a far away look and didn't make him want to hit her over the head for looking so damn depressing.

He almost scowled at what was going through his head, why the hell did he want her back to normal as it is, it's not like he cared or anything, she was just going to be his tool once he was done paying back his debt and-

He saw something shine from the corner of his eye from with in the hood and grunted, making sure it was just his eyes before he then grumbled lowly and looked away, the brat usually gave him minimal to no attitude, what the hell was up with her today to make her act like a frazzled hormonal teenager? He grunted as she simply sat back on the ground beside him staring out at the storm that ahead of them before worrying a hand over his face.

"Gaki!" He snapped after a few moments, her head tilted towards him before he grumbled lightly and began to shift, soon taking off his shirt, his wounds were getting better and better with every day, as well as the wound on his arm and leg weren't as bad as they had been, a salve the elder swordsman gave him took care of that, "Change my bandages." He watched her head turn, looking him up and down by the movement of her head from inside the hood before she pulled it back and sighed. The routine he could see was beginning to get normal for her, that was good, however what wasn't was that vacant look on her face and the way her eyes were oddly cold. He felt her hands move gently on his back and then loosen the tie she had procured last time she bound him up. This time she took her time to unwind them from his form, and then roll up the gauze before looking at his back.

He wondered why she was taking so long before she reached into her bag finding new bandages and starting to bind him once again. As he felt her hands moving rather clumsily, he didn't let his face turn towards her but just listened to her breathing. It had been an almost worry of his, almost mind you, that they would have to stop and rest often because she hadn't gotten over the illness she had last time.

However she seemed to be back in the state she had been in before she got sick to begin with, something he would take as good sign, as well as a bit of a hint she had a rather healthy immune system. He wouldn't know anything for sure until he could talk to her in the same language though. Grunting as she moved one bandage underneath his arm, he scowled, there was total immersion he could do, forcing her culturally to obtain the language as a means of survival, or he could teach her himself, something he doubted he had any patience for.

_Pain in my ass…_ He growled after a few moments before sighing, couldn't there be a short cut, or something, some way for her to pick up to his language, or his to hers quickly? Slowly he looked up at her, watching her pause to stare back with those blue eyes before he sighed, "Why does it have to be a little fool like you?"

There was a pause and he watched as she slowly shut her eyes and then opened them to stare at him in a glare before she exhaled loudly and let her hands promptly fall into her lap.

Sending one back, he twisted lightly so his side was to her, these mood swings were starting to get annoying.

* * *

_Hey you should probably keep bandaging him you know…_

Shut up Mordi, what I really wanna do is just beat his face in.

Really, maybe it was the weather, the situation I was in, the stress I was under, or maybe it was because right now my life just Sucked, but what ever it was, it was starting to get to me. Why, out of all the damn people in the fuckin' universe I had to get stuck with, did it have to be the zombie-

_He's not a zombie! He's quite alive Cassi!_

SHUT IT MORDI!

With the attitude problem from HELL! Really, I mean sure he wasn't that bad on certain days but today was not one of those days! Also! WHY! WHY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! WHY Did it have to be me that stumbled across him digging himself out of the grave? Why did he have to drag me with him – why did the man with the social skills of a fuckin' possum HAVE TO DRAG ME WITH HIM!

_Well… possums are pretty mean…_

He wasn't mean, well, no, scratch that, he was mean considering he wouldn't let me open a god damn window in the cabin for three weeks and threw shit at my head every time I tried! And Broody! And Psycho! And a Killer! And He had a BIG ATTITUDE PROBLEM! He never smiled except when he killed things, he sucked at cooking, lacked any conversation tactics, sucked at teaching-

_Well hey he did teach you how to throw a kunai-_

HE HIT ME IN THE HEAD WHENEVER I GOT IT WRONG!

_No – well… yeah… I guess he did. Okay, so he's not the best teacher but you DID learn how to do it!_

He couldn't stay out of trouble! He got me sick! AND FOR SOME REASON, WE! Not Him, WE, WERE NOW INVOLVED WITH THE AKATSUKI!

_Yeah, but wasn't that YOUR fangirl dream? As Daniel used to say, you got it hot for Fish stick's fish stick._

BUT IT'S NOT KISAME I WAS STUCK WITH! ITS THAT NEANDERTHAL!

_Well. No, you kinda are, he and Itachi seem to be a packaged deal with your big problem._

I paused for a moment and then slowly focused down at Zabuza seething. Scratched the fact I took my ring off and had to save my own damn life, I pointed at Zabuza now and poked him in the chest, "This. Is. All. Your. Fault." With that, I yanked my hood up and grabbed my back marching back out into the rain.

As it drummed against my hood in my seething march, of course Mordicus opened his big mouth again, keeping anything but silent now.

_Don't get it wrong, it's your fault too._

I ignored him, as it was something I already knew. If I hadn't taken my ring off, the Akatsuki would have probably not come with. However if I had not taken my ring off, I would more than likely also be dead, and unfortunately, due to something called a fuckin' language barrier, I probably wouldn't ever know why either!

_Whooo you are just on a roll today!_

SHUT IT!

I didn't care where I was going at the moment but I just wanted to get the hell away from him, Zabuza, now. I needed space, or something that was like space. Something that would make it so I couldn't see him, hear him, or feel the urge to beat his face i-

Why wasn't I moving?

I stared blankly as my feet had immediately stopped before staring at my wrist as it glowed brightly before raising a very slow brow. His little jutsu was preventing it it seemed. I glared at my wrist and tried to step forward again, my feet felt as heavy as lead though, preventing such, so in utter defeat, ignoring the rain as it was hitting me from all sides, I let myself just sit.

_Feel better?_

Not in the slightest.

Thunder boomed over head and I looked up at the sky quietly, rain hitting my face and blinding my glasses while my eyes watched lightening flash angrily across the sky before I slowly let my face slump forward and hugged myself around the waist.

_Are you going to cry now?_

Yes, I do believe was I am.

At first, it came out slowly and quietly, and then I felt that disgusting filling of snot in my nose, the heat on my eyes unpleasant and itchy while it gained that enact ability for fogging up my glasses as well. The process all in all I think lasted a good four minutes, I was never much of a crier as it was, I did it in spurts, however right now if I went into a sob I can't say I would have been surprised.

I missed my mother, and I missed my father, I missed Heather, and Kris, I wanted my dogs, and my two kittens to be there curled with me, I missed my bed, my college friends, I even missed my really bitchy roommate. I missed my life and everything there was back at it that I couldn't have here and felt like I could never get back to.

_And to think, at first when you got here, you were really torn up about that dick, who you called a friend, you dumped back home. That seems kinda trivial compared to this, doesn't it?_

My mind went blank at the vampire's words before I felt my tears continue however a grotesque smile, the one that takes your face when you're sad but able to laugh took my face. Giggles ushered through me, which was followed by chuckling, and then I was laughing so hard my sides hurt as I clutched to them, tears trailing down my face I lost the ability to breath and soon fell backwards, laying on the ground and feeling my body arch as I screamed out laughing until I went silent because of lack of breath. My tears dried and I rolled back and forth trying to breath before a big rain drop hit the back of my throat, rolling over and getting onto my hands and knees I coughed until I could breath again and felt the smile fall back onto my face.

"God Mordi… Out of all the things. God…" He had to bring that up, it had been over a month since I got here, and I had completely forgotten about that. Shutting my eyes I felt the smile on my lips grow, so trivial, such a trivial thing, I was so pathetic it was laughable, and almost so shallow that it even brought out the deepest disgust in me.

Soon I managed to sit back, my hand coming over my face and rubbing it before I shut my eyes, "God girl, grow a pair would ya. The game ain't over yet, and it's only round two."

_That's my line._

Need I repeat myself to tell you to shut it?

I soon got to my feet and looked ahead before staring at my glowing wrist, raising a brow in thought before turning and starting to head back, sighing lightly. Now I had to take care of the fact I made a total ass of myself and stomped off like a child with a temper tantrum.

Because that's exactly what I did, letting my face fall forward a little more into the jacket I wore, but feeling considerably better, I approached the spot they had settled before pausing at a large rock that was in front of it at what I saw.

A group of men had surrounded the three of them, from what they were wearing, I could tell they weren't shinobi from a particular village, however many of them still had kunai and shuriken that they had already thrown and were beginning to reach for other items and weapons. I let my eyes wander their backs for a moment, before my eyes caught dark browns ones.

Zabuza simply eyed me as I watched him for a moment, his hand making a very slow dropping motion that made me duck back slightly, before his head I caught bowed ever so slightly. Once again he wanted me to hide and be useless…

_Well you'd probably just be in the way any other way._ This was true, if I helped out now I'd just use up my chakra and probably pass right out without much issue. God damn it, why did my one advantage, lots of chakra, have to be my huge disadvantage? Being weak?

_Because you suck, this isn't your world, and there's no way in Hell, even with your skills, you'll adapt that fast to where it's actually useful._

It was a rhetorical question, I didn't want an answer to that Mordi.

Ignoring his cry of the usual, "MORDICUS DAMN IT!" I observed as the men were quickly assaulted by the three rogue, my eyes taking in the fluid movements Zabuza executed, while Itachi seemed to just trick his opponents, and the brutality of Kisame's blade shaved away people's remains. The battle was truly uneven, and it lasted only a matter of minutes at most.

I was seeing a lot of blood in this world, and with the people I was surrounded with, I had a great feeling that I would see more than my fair share by the time I was done what ever duty I had to do here… shutting my eyes I turned and rested my back and head against the rock that I was hidden behind. Slowly I let the images in my head process, such as Kisame tearing off a man's head and Zabuza managing to cut out a man's throat, before I rubbed my eyelids and then stared back at the ground trying to take it all in.

Would that be me eventually? Granted, the three all had years of skill, training, and practice ahead of me, as well as this being their life styles, this was their world… but would I have to adapt to it to such a degree, that I took life without a thought and did it on instinct and a whim like them?

"_That depends. Do you want to survive, or not?"_ The cool dark tones of Killer spoke softly in a hiss in my mind, making me frown lightly, _"Because in the end, it's not gonna be you thinking about taking a life or not, in this place, hesitation can very much lead to your death. So, do you want to make it, or not?"_

Questions like that had no easy way to answer, shaking my head I looked ahead, then at the sky as the rain was starting to let up and rays of light were beginning to move through the clouds, I looked down and sighed, turning and exiting from behind the rock and staring at the man that I still had to take care of as he was using a cloth to wipe the blood off his body. He glanced up at me, acknowledging me with a grunt, which I felt tinge lightly on my nerves before shutting my eyes and simply sighing before looking back at him though. He stared at me for a few moments before I raised a brow at him and looked him up and down.

"Why do you make my job harder?" I asked after a few moments with furrowed eyebrows and a puzzled look.

The look he was giving me was almost as if he was asking me the exact same question, and with my luck.

He more than likely was.

* * *

**A/N: **HAHA! MANAGED TO UPDATE THIS SUCKER! If there are mistakes, forgive me, I'm updating this at four in the morning. This has been a long time in the going, meaning that I haven't had much insperation for it in a while, however I manage to get my head a little up in the clouds, took a few breaths of that fresh air, and then BAM! There you go. I know it got a little serious at times, but yeah... that was something that was comin' in the long run. Anyways! Let me know what ya thought, and I'll see ya hopefully next chapter!


	17. Mischief

**A/N: **And here we are with another chapter once again! Ooooh, and just for those who wanted to see him **There is a picture of Mordicus drawn out, the link to it is on my profile!** Go check it out at some point if ya want to. Also, head's up, I'm back to school so I will attempt to update this when I can, kay? Kay. That's why this damn chapter took so fuckin' long, I've been buried under a mountain of homework! Which I have to return to unfortunately when I'm done this thing =.= grrr…

Also, there is foreshadowing.

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**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even perhaps Norse if I feel like it (just a hint, I felt like it), if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**Mischief**

After the storm passed over us, we had began our trek again, the talking was light between the three and it maintained this sort of atmosphere for several hours of moving, from what I noticed, they weren't even affected by the blood they caused. I couldn't say that I was too shocked on this though… For them it was probably as easy as making a sandwich.

I had to eye Zabuza for a moment in this thought before shutting my eyes lightly, really I supposed he would have killed me if he had been himself when we first met, I was about as useless as a chastity belt given to a five cent hooker workin' on a Friday night after all. Little help and when I did it was ill effective.

_Ohhh, the metaphors are coming back, that's good._ Rolling my eyes I sighed lightly inwardly before looking at the sky now that was clear and filled with white puffy clouds while the dirt we walked on wasn't really a dirt road any more so much as it was just mud. Either way I let my eyes lower and stared ahead towards the path we were moving down. I had to wonder where we going now? After a good half an hour of pondering this though, as really, aside from watch my feet, what else did I have to do? I received my answer.

The town we came to wasn't big, in fact from what I had seen in the manga and anime, it was rather a village if anything, so I glanced over at Zabuza in light confusion as he looked around and then back at me before looking to our right. I did as well before blinking as only faint dust clouds were left, the two Akatsuki gone for now. My shoulders eased at this and I let myself relax in my spot letting out a breath. Not that I had a problem with them being around… well no, that was a lie, I had a big problem with it considering they tried to kill me, but them not being here let me relax a little and not feel as though I needed to be directly beside my psychotic partner in crime all the time in fear of my safety. Subconsciously I leaned against said male and felt him stiffen before I glanced up and flinched away.

I didn't need to be getting close to Zabuza, I took care of him and that was it… or something. It didn't seem to be giving my action much thought though as he had grasped my wrist and was pulling me along, trying to get me to walk easily enough. Deciding that I was in a fair mood for the moment, well, given that the tension makers were gone, I did so with out much qualm.

_Now what is he doing though?

* * *

_

Zabuza let out a grunt as he turned another quick corner, his eyes lidded as he let his eyes search for the familiar red roof that held a diamond in the rough. Kisame and Itachi coming to this place, and him as well for that matter was no mere coincidence, he knew of this place for quite a while and had planned on taking her for some time. Why? Well, while there were few in the current region they were in, a little out of wave country and even more so away from Kirigakure, he had once come across a small building with a rusty red roof that held a little man inside.

When he had first come there, it was because Haku had wanted to walk around the town; the boy at the time was being rather obedient to him, so he had allowed it. But when the younger boy was gone for so long, he remembered distinctly attempting to find him and coming across the small building that the little man named Jirobi Habora lived in. The reason he had entranced Haku so easily though wasn't because he cast a genjutsu or anything like that at the time. It was the mere fact the man had experienced and knew things about other places, _foreign_ places, that no one else did.

And, to top it all off.

Jirobi was a linguist. Quietly he looked back at his companion. Her brown hair curling naturally at the sides in line at short layers with her forehead, something he noticed it did when completely dry signified the rain wasn't that bad, and her blue eyes, cold as usual, were now lidded. She raised a brow towards him behind the rims of her glasses while he continued to eye her before breathing loudly behind her nose. She followed him closely nonetheless though, as he continued to walk. He had a feeling he was the only one she could turn to, seeing as she hadn't left yet, not that even if she tried he would really let her go.

She probably wouldn't survive without him after all, and he wasn't attempting to exaggerate.

Looking back ahead and staring for a moment he tilted his head and then glanced back at her one more time before heading west in the direction he had spotted the roof. It was really a small little town, but as he was "dead" perhaps it was alright to assume for now he would be fine in such a town. Word didn't get out here as easily as it did in big cities and, there was also the matter of the lack of authority that were shinobi. Just to be safe though he pulled his hood a little further over his head, thankful Kisame, like her, had also supplied him one.

Not that he would ever mention it to the old man though.

With a grunt and tug he upped the pace moving closer towards the building that was to be his destination, the sound of her footsteps moving across his ears and he felt the closeness of her body to his own before he paused and looked over at her. Earlier when she had come back after the slaughter, her eyes had been puffy and she seemed more distant than usual, it was obvious to him that she had been crying.

Looking at the blue eyes that had darkened considerably, almost close to the sheen of a raven's feather when light hit it, he looked her up and down before letting his hand come up slowly. He watched her eyes light up slightly as his hand rested on her head again and he kept hold of hand slightly before leaning forward and staring at eyelevel with her.

_Alright gaki, I don't know what the hell's crawled into your head and died, but you need to go back to your aloof, clumsy, almost annoying self._ _Because this attitude is just pissing me off._ He grumbled in his head, he watched her blink and her facial expression change, a confused look coming forward before grunting as she leaned her head forward and rested it on the coolness of his hitai-ate.

"Zabuza." Was the breath that exited her, he blinked and looked to see her eyes open and directly in front of his own, the accent of whatever language she was saying showing in his name. He ignored it for the moment though and watched as her hand came up….

Smacking him upside the head promptly he jerked back from her and stared dumbfounded as what he could only identify as mirth moved through her face, shadowing it lightly like the clouds blocked the sunlight. He felt his eye twitch a few moments before grabbing her in a headlock, "Tch! Brat!" Seeing her turned backwards now in the headlock he grinned and began to walk watching her eyes bulge and feet move to keep up with him.

It was in this position, the girl awkwardly bent backwards in his grasp, his arm the only thing preventing her from falling as it rested easily around her neck, not choking, but not letting her go, they reached the door of the red roofed house.

Zabuza eyed it for a few moments, as almost to assure himself that this was indeed the old place he had visited years ago. Looking it up and down, he let out a breath and then nodded, opening the door and hearing the faint ding of a bell in the process. His eyes lifting to stare quietly at the ceiling above before raising a small brow. When he had first come in here, there were planets and stars that covered the ceiling, now there were clouds and cherubs of sorts with harps. He looked back seeing his female companion also eying them before glancing back at him with a small blank look.

Opening his mouth, he then spoke loudly, "Oi! Anyone here?" There was a yell of obscenities in the background, then a loud crashing, he released Cassi from his grip and watched her pivot around on her foot and stand facing the same way as him now.

"Somebody Help!"

The familiar voice of the linguist crossing his ears confirmed his location all together now. Zabuza wasn't particularly wary though as he followed the yelling pleas before walking through a door way that was crowded by antiques of some sort of another, collecting dust from ages of just sitting in one place, only to find a large pile of books and a hand sticking with a head popping just above them staring out and waving for help.

The soft, quiet, but never silent footsteps behind him confirmed she was staying on his six with out much qualm. Her feet pushed up and she strained, looking over his shoulder making him cast a glance back. One her tired blue eyes returned back without much fear or regard for such. He looked just as quickly away towards the man that was struggling to unbury himself. A strife that Zabuza could very well relate to infact.

In the years or so that had passed since he last saw this man, not much had changed in his appearance except for the fact that he had gotten greyer. Reaching forward and grasping his hand, Zabuza also took a moment to take in the fact his hands were more gnarled and covered in darker dots.

Much like someone aging would have, some of his skin was starting to get baggy here or there, but those cool ice blue eyes he had that hid behind circular spectacles, as they landed on Zabuza's face, still had that look of intellect and cunning. They flashed with recognition as the nuke nin pulled him out with relative ease before the elder gentleman stood himself up straight, dusting himself off with the lint and dead cells that had gathered on the books that in particular had fallen on him over the years; readjusted his glasses, and then let his gaze move up to the two in front of him.

The man, he knew from the past, this girl though was new. With the appraisal of a pawn shop owner, he looked over her from her toes to the end of her brown hair that was peeking out from her hood. Her own glasses shining lightly in the light that reflected down in them and dark blue, cold eyes staring back at him, sizing him up as he was her.

Zabuza took a moment to stand back and look at the two. While his female companion was considerably younger, he could feel something working in her head that seemed to be in sync with this man. Her eyes flicking around to stare at the many books and items that were around the room before looking back to their owner before her arms crossed lightly and her head cocked to the side in wonder. Then looked at Zabuza, an unsaid cue he took to be for him to get on with it. Something amusing to his mind but also completely interpreted.

"Jirobi." He greeted simply a curtly, eyes becoming lidded before he let his gaze move back to the elder, "Been a while."

"I heard you were dead, but I guess you're not." The man replied, his frantic voice having changed to a calm, quiet voice of a scholar. It grated almost on Zabuza's nerves, it was the same way, it was just like the quiet voice that Haku's voice had been. Jirobi staring at him slowly tilted his head before looking at his companion, "Who's the foreigner though? She looks… normal. Compared to you."

Zabuza simply let his eyes narrow towards him before shutting them and letting out a very low breath, "My companion. She doesn't speak the native lingo. Don't know what she speaks in fact." The old man liked it when he got to the point. He watched carefully as he approached, feeling the tension in the female beside her and actually felt her hand lift up into his arm warmer, his eyes darting to her as he did. There was a few moments of quiet as the man reached with in a half foot of her and her hand slowly released but rested slightly on his wrist. Was she off guard by him?

Jirobi paused, raising his hand and staring at her for a moment, before he pointed at her. "You, speak." He opened it and closed in a talking motion before scowling at her.

* * *

There was a few moments where I stared at the opening and closing hand with a big of frustration as well as indignant annoyance, a scowl taking my face before I looked up at the geezer it belonged to.

_Dude… his hand is Pac-man._ My scowl disappeared as I forced my face to go blank, attempting to keep myself composed at this comment and not give a good laugh, before looking back at his hand with a very small twitch upward of my lips. Crossing my arms I looked at his face he repeated what he said before, only he sounded a little annoyed now. I studied it for a moment before raising a brow. He was older, that was for sure, but….

I couldn't help but find his slightly chubby old guy cheeks remind me of a bulldog, his eyes behind his glasses though were most critical and sharp as they looked at my own. My head slumped forward though as a hand shot up and slapped the back of it, my eyes widening for a moment before I looked over at Zabuza and slowly scowled, "What?" I grumbled, "You want me to talk? Well fine! But don't hit me for it damn it! Find something actually constructive to hit me for!" I poked him in the chest leaning forward and looking up, ignoring as his eyebrow rose and he just stared at me with a look that asked, 'What the hell are you doing?'

"You ain't doin' me any favors by doing otherwise." I grumbled before stepping back from him and then looking over at the new guy again. I got a reaction though I didn't expect.

His slightly beady eyes were wide and his jaw was hanging as he was gawking at me. I felt rather uncomfortable as I quietly observed him, feeling good old Mordicus pause as well at this man's face.

_Well damn, ain't that something special?_ I fought back a snicker, my teeth biting down onto my lower lip and my hands burying themselves in my coat pockets, nails digging deep into my palm causing a stinging that brought my face into a smirk instead of some odd look that I could only guess made me look semi-retarded.

_Semi?_

Oh good god man! Can't you keep from adding on for one-

_Nope._

PLEASE?

_Never._

An exasperated sigh left me and I shut my eyes instead, now shaking my head and letting out a low grumble of obscenities before looking back up. I almost felt a tension in the back of my mind as the old man continued to watch me before I slowly straightened. He wasn't staring at me as he had before, but there was something in his eyes… something…

I leaned forward and felt Zabuza's hand move onto my back lightly making me immediately look at him, his eyes were narrowed as the elder spoke, before he quickly looked back at me. I had to wonder for a moment before I let my head swivel back to the geezer.

A moment of silence came between us now before he opened his mouth now and a voice came across the air.

"You accent is perfect." I flinched at the voice and felt my foot step back as I stared at him now. It was my turn to be flabbergasted. Never the mind he said the sentence incorrectly, or with a thick accent, or with the fact it was horribly pronounced, but…. "Where you learn?"

Not even Mordicus said a word for this one; we both just seemed blank as the language that was only familiar to our own ears passed in the air towards us and through my head. I blinked now, then several things and let my mouth open and close, and then slowly shut it completely. I let my eyes turn to the floor and shut them slowly regaining myself mentally.

_Did he just?_

Yup.

Opening my eyes I then stood up straight. "You speak English then?" I questioned now, at his narrowing of eyes I could tell he was translating it in his head, slowly his head nodded and he brought up his thumb and pointer.

"I speak." He replied now. I felt my head almost hurt at the concept of acknowledging someone else spoke the language I was most native to. However slowly I nodded and gulped down spit into the dryness of my throat and then coughed into it.

What the hell was I supposed to say to that? He spoke a little bit of English? It was broken? What? I shut my eyes for a few moments and then turned on my heel moving deeper into the building with a small frown on my face. How was I supposed to deal with this now?

_Be happy?_

Are you happy?

_Well no… I'm a little confused._

Then I see no reason why I should be happy.

Quiet took to my mind again as I let myself become distracted by an intricate design on a vase, then moving away from it towards a collection of books on the side, eyes moving over the Japanese characters that lined the spines of the multicolored texts before something caught my eye on the bottom of one. I leaned forward; blowing against it and watching a good layer of dust remove from it before frowning.

_IS that?_

I'm not sure Mordi, but I'm gonna grab it anyways.

_Something like that shouldn't even be here though._

Why d'ya think I'm grabbin' it?

Lifting my hand I grasped the top of a particularly old book that sat in line with several others before yanking it out. I heard the other two in the background speak and felt their eyes on my back abruptly after they were done, before I looked slowly over at them, book remaining in my hand. The feeling of the texture of the cloth covered front and back almost welcoming as I shut my eyes and inhaled.

"Oi, Gaki." Zabuza's voice broke through the air now and I looked at him now with a small frown, he beckoned me and grudgingly I moved forward again with a very small grumble. His hand came out and caught my upper arm, pulling me back to his side tightly making me wince. He shoved his finger back at the old man, making me stare now at him before slowly raising a brow.

* * *

"Now tell her what you just told me." Zabuza ordered, his eyes narrowed. He felt her tug to move away and kept a tight hold on her, eyes moving down and locking with the annoyed blue. He remained quiet before slowly looking back at the Jirobi and nodding. He watched the Jirobi's face scrunch up in concentration, before his mouth came out in the same language he heard her speak in such fluid talk before, only it was now broken, and slow.

He felt her relax in his grasp first when Jirobi was done and let his eyes move to the face that he had become familiar with, her eyes were widened and her mouth was slightly open, she then slowly looked over at him before he gave a slow nod. He grunted as the book was dropped and her body slumped and then she sat on the floor by his feet. There was a moment of quiet, a frown on her face before he slowly looked back up and frowned, "Are you sure?" He questioned now.

Jirobi looked up and back at him before stating simply, "She is most definitely speaking a dead language Zabuza san. I've only met other esteemed linguists such as myself who would even recognize it. Much less speak it."

Abrupt giggling exited the female between them making Zabuza slowly blink and look back down, her body was trembling as each giggle moved through her, before slowly it began to come out louder before full-out laughter followed. She couldn't hold herself up and fell backwards, rolling back and forth before he simply sighed and shut his eyes. She had gone hysterical, that was just wonderful. As opposed to her recent hormonal bad mood, now she was just hysterical. It soon died down to giggles, and then went quiet, he opened an eye, annoyed at her while she stared at the ceiling before getting up. The book picked back up, his eyes catching a glimpse before she looked at him and then forward.

That smile still on her face, something behind that smile made him want to grab hold of her hair and shove her head into the ground, it was almost fake, but…. He wasn't sure though, his eyes turning back to Jirobi, staring at her just as unsure as he was, her arms crossed, a negative sign in body language and her eyes shut. She took a very deep breath through her nose, and then exhaled out her mouth before looking at Zabuza now.

* * *

I didn't know what to say, this was bad, really bad; but it explained everything as far the complication as to why there was no way in hell he could verbally understand me. I shoved one of my hands through my hair to get it out of my face before looking back at the elder. I didn't know how legit he was, regardless the fact he was telling me in my own language. I suppose it was probably better that he was though other wise I wouldn't know at all.

_And then we would be really confused till._

Well there was that too, we would indeed be still confused, but there was still the fact that….

"So seriously, I'm speaking a dead language?" I questioned now, eyes drifting towards the series, it was mostly to myself, but he responded anyways.

"You speak language that's not been used for good 200 years, few people speak."

"Right right…" I waved a hand at him now nodding, "I get it." So what did I do now then? I looked back down at the book I was still holding hostage before grabbing it and shoving it in my bag, there was a cry of something from the guy but I continued in zipping up the bag now and shoving it onto my back with a sigh before looking back at him. "What?"

"Not yours! Put Back!" He looked at the bookshelf; slowly I glanced at Zabuza for a moment who was giving a slight glare at me. It wasn't as intense as I knew him to be capable of though, I mean I've seen pretty bad from him before. We simply looked for a moment before I set my face, squared my shoulders, and looked back at the geezer.

"It ain't yours either!" I snapped, "So back off." He stilled, eyes wide at me before I glared for a few moments, "Tch." Leaning back I let my hands shove into my pockets, "Unless you know how to…."

"You know how use that book?" I flinched, this guy's accent, his voice, his face, I kinda just wanted to duct tape his mouth shut. The entire situation was bullshit already really, so I suppose that I could make it worse, slowly I relaxed into my stance though and looked at Zabuza.

"Are we done here?" I mumbled, he looked back at the old man, who stared at me before looking at me now and repeating what I said no doubt. I grunted as Zabuza's hand rested on the back of my neck again before he spoke. The vibrations from his voice moving through his hand, it was almost soothing to feel it before I heard the man respond back quickly. Harsh tones broke from my buddy's voice, making me immediately look back at him.

Now he had that sharp glare I knew, I watched him stare down our new friend who backed up, the hand on my neck however remained lax making me almost blink. Was Zabuza really just trying to intimidate the guy? I decided to keep this question to myself, looking back with a glare towards the victim of the big guy's death glare of doom.

The effect was nice, the old guy stepped back another few steps as I let the scowl hold to my face. He exhaled lowly, and spoke again now, "Y-you need tra-translator collar?" Translator collar? The hell? I looked at Zabuza, his head bobbing up and down towards me before I gave one of my own, watching the man launch away from us and towards the back of the building. I let the clueless vibe I had come over my face before I reached up, scratching the back of my head now. "What the hell was that about?"

_I don't know but you're taking this rather easy._

The dead language thing isn't as bad as the other things Mordicus.

I suppose right now, aside from my laughing fit, I could be throwing an outright tantrum; but there was the whole deal of it wouldn't get me anywhere, and there were better things to hold tantrums about. Not that it's stopped me before, but I was already tired from the activities earlier in the day. The language I had been raised up on, as well as my only one I knew, would still remain dead to this world.

However, what if I told them that in America, their very lives were translated into it?

They would probably get me thrown in the loony bin. So it probably would be better for me to just keep my mouth shut and not say anything at all, in fact just remaining the foreign little brat that I was would play nicely in my favor if I worked it right. I glanced at Zabuza who was staring ahead, then slowly back at me, his chocolate eyes pegging my own before I blinked once and sighed looking back ahead.

He would probably ask though, if we ever got onto the same language level.

_Well you might, if a translator collar is really just that ya know?_

I ran my hand through my hair again, there was that too I suppose, I would have to wonder about how they got that far though technology wise, or perhaps it was a jutsu of some kind that I wouldn't know about until I could understand the language properly. If I was the one that had to learn it, maybe Zabuza would suck it up and learn English.

_Haha, no, even an idiot can see it's you that needs to learn the new language, you're outweighed by the population of this world dumbass._

Touché.

I was the one who definitely was lost here, but it seemed that Zabuza was missing a few jigsaw pieces of this gigantic puzzle as well. That was okay though, us both being lost meant we had a common ground, aside for the fact that he could kill me on a whim and I saved his butt on one.

_Well, you're just like that though, you'd save him even if he didn't want help._

I looked at him from the corner of my eye and then shut them; that was probably true, well no, it was. But it didn't really matter now, as I did do it and here we were, even if I was ranting earlier about it.

_He's all you got really Cass._

That was pushing it.

Thankfully the old man returned, drawing my attention from my thoughts before I could respond properly to Mordicus. My head lifting at the thin square box he had in his hand before he beckoned us forward. Zabuza's hand pressed against my neck and silently I moved forward, casting a slight look towards him which he didn't even bother to return. The guy opened the box for us.

The object inside was a simple silver ring with a rectangular black square that followed the curve of it for a good third of it. Attached to it, was a small black cord that held what I could only think to be a small ear bud that could fit like it was one out of a set of earplugs. I watched him lift it, touching the outside only before blowing on it, dust floated up and he pulled out a cloth, wiping it down so it shined lightly before handing it out. I looked own at it as it rested lightly before my chest before reaching up and grasping lightly at the sides of it. I couldn't see where it split, if it was a collar after all.

A hand shot out, snatching it from me, making me grunt as Zabuza held it in front of him and looked at it. Looking up I watched him glare at the collar's owner, then begin talking fast, there was a few moments of shot back and forth babble that I couldn't even keep up with before he turned at me. He tapped the top of it, my eyes watching transfixed as it opened on the top and he pointed at his neck while leaning his head back, baring it.

_Ooooh, I'd love to sink my teeth into that._

Shut it Mordi.

I lifted my head back and felt him step closer, the collar moving around my neck just brushing it lightly before the back of it snapped back together just as easy. Reaching down I grasped the ear bud that was hanging and moved it into my ear. I didn't hear anything for a moment before the old man spoke up again, my eyes turning to him while Zabuza also glanced. There was nothing side between us before I watched his hands make a seal.

I heard it before I felt it, the sound of something sliding out rapidly. A stinging entered my throat as something broke through it, and jammed up, "Uh-" It clipped something and just as quickly moved back down, my eyes widening as the object inside me moved back out. Something warm trickling down my neck slowly and my hand coming up, touching the small stream of blood that had began to drip down.

I was tired, speaking a dead language, and now I was bleeding…. Because the damn collar that was just put on my neck decided to stab me. My foul mood returned and I twisted around pointing my blood smeared finger at him, "What the hell is this!"

I blinked as a female voice moved through my ear from the bud now and made me let my hand go limp and listen, my eyebrows coming together in confusion. **"Dialect English, translating to?"**

The tone made me slowly shut my eyes for a moment and my hand dropped now. Really? Seriously? They had all this fancy jutsu stuff, and they had to stab me to get my fuckin' language for this damn collar?

_Feudal and modern, we've been over this before._

Crossing my arms I decided to just deal with it while tapping my foot.

** "Translating to?"** That woman's voice was in English alright, and I could understand what she was asking me, but the whole thing was…. I rolled my neck despite the pain of it, my throat hurt as well and I felt a soothing warmth that went through it, looking down I caught a green glow against my skin ushering from the collar. The pain in my throat went away before I looked back up at the cherub filled ceiling.

"Japanese."

**"Ear setting?"**

Well wasn't this thing just so damn nifty? I shut my eyes and then looked over at Zabuza now, "Japanese to English."

**"Confirm, speaker wishes to translate Japanese to English in ear device and English to Japanese in vocal device?"**

Yes god damn it! I hated settings on crap like this.

_This is our first tim-_

It's the same damn concept.

Confirming it, I simply waiting now for something magical to happen, when it didn't, and I was given what was like white noise from with in the bud, or the quiet static that was after a song ended; I opened an eye now and looked at the old man who was staring at me expectantly, almost anxiously.

He opened his mouth and spoke, and while I expected there to be a lag, immediately I heard it the moment the last sound exited him, "Well?"

I kept my mouth shut till for a second, mulling over my response. What would my first words be? It didn't seem that important but still, it was something I should at least consider before I spoke. I could tell this man how bad his accent was, or I could show my displeasure in being stabbed in the neck by something really small by punching him in the face.

_Let's be serious here._ Slowly I glared to the side now before grumbling incoherent babble, happy that burning in my throat was gone before I let my hands fall into my pockets again before stating simply, "That was more of hassle than necessary, I do believe." I then smiled at him, "But thanks."

Now I'm going to eat your throat out and see how you enjoy it.

_Easy there._

There were no other words as my backpack was grasped and I was being dragged out of the building just as I had come in, backwards. There was yelling from the old man that I had already blocked out though before looking over my shoulder at Zabuza stating sarcastically, "I can walk forward, 'm capable of it. Really. It's not a trick." His eyes narrowed over his shoulder at me now before he raised a brow. His hand lifted immediately and rested on my shoulder. I let out a yelp, as there was shoving and I was whipped around, right foot digging out to stop me from twirling and left stomping forward to catch me from falling and regain my balance.

Looking up I eyed him warily before standing up straight, his body not bothering to turn to me but his head facing me as it continued to watch. We said nothing before I felt a small smile come to my lips and then I chuckled again. I kept it from becoming full blown laughter before I felt a little relief come to the emotional hell my brain had been shoving itself through as we continued to walk.

Sarcasm aside I should probably say something though to him, I was stuck with him and he was my only _real_ company after all. Even if he still owed me, though I'm not quite sure where we really stood now.

Either way I opened my mouth and replied gently, "Sorry I've been pretty damn useless to you." What I could have added on was that I was sorry I wasn't as good as company as his last companion. However.

I think that went without saying.

Like I basically said.

My mind was just an emotional wreck today.

* * *

Haku stared into the waters of life again with wide eyes and his lips in a line, his eyes having witnessed the two moving off on their own while questions drifted in his mind. What was going on? When he was alive, nothing like the collar she wore now even existed, he had never heard of it! He looked around the foggy white void he sat in before hearing a cackle, his body getting up and staring ahead of him, turning his back to the living waters for the moment before looking out.

His eyes narrowed as he beheld a man that shout out from the mist, soon landing with ease as nude as the day he was made. The young ghost's eyes looked him up and down for a moment, before leaning forward and murmuring happily, "Have you liked the little bit I've added to the mix? The book and the collar?"

Haku remained silent for a moment, eyes narrowing in thought before the man danced forward and around him, "Oh don't worry little human, it's just a little thing to add some pep to this game." He leaned forward against the well and grinned down at the scene of the two it followed moving towards an inn, "I mean as long as the fact she'd died once still stands, the girl will remain connected to the realm of the dead. So might as well play with the bits of little worlds and mix them a little together."

"Wait, what do you mean!" The man paused at Haku's voice, quiet and firm, his chocolate brown eyes soft, but sharp. A grin took the man's face and mist ushered from his body before it shifted forms. Slowly turning into a winged snake that hovered before him.

"What's the point in staying put when one can venture to and forth?" He questioned now, his lengthy body, green scales shining in the light that was produced from a nonexistent source, circling around the boy, "What the dog of Egypt doesn't know won't hurt him and what that female woman doesn't know will cause no harm. It's a deal you made so why not have a little fun and shake things up?"

"Zabuza sama-"

"Doesn't have you any more, the girl has her own way of doings things, and she'll show the way while I drop my bits of change and morph the state of play. No worries child. They won't get harmed…" He twisted himself and shot up above the water before his reptilian lips pulled into a toothy grin, "By those of us that are Gods."

A cry exited Haku as the large reptile shot into the water and, narrowly missing a spear that shot from with in the fog out at him. The spear hit the surface next to the well, quiet holding easily while the body of a man and the head of a jackal erupted from with in the fog, it blasting away from him in his fury.

His head slowly raised to stare at the boy who looked at him open mouthed, saying nothing for a few moments before approaching and staring down.

There was nothing said as the ghost turned his head to also observe quietly, the embalming god soon speaking after the silence hovered.

"That was Loki, the Norse god of Mischief."

Haku looked at him and tensed slightly as the eyes of a beast looked back at him now. "What does this mean, Anubis sama?"

"The stage is set for another play."


	18. Step Your Game Up NOW!

**A/N: **And I'm back! Sorry for the wait, school's been keeping me busy busy busy. So. Thank you for reviewing too….  
**SerbiaTakesCntrl  
XSweetXSourXSoulX  
CaitlinXcowz  
Xiaahandrus  
The observer  
boop. bleep .blurp  
ThePieWithTheFace**

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

* * *

**Step up your Game….  
NOW.**

_Oh God oh god oh god! Left foot, right, no wait left again! Duck! GOD DAMN IT HE GOT US AGAIN! _Pain entered my stomach as a fist slammed into it, my body flew backwards and a tree caught my back, I hit the ground hard, gasping for air and my eyes shut tightly as I swallowed back stomach acid as it flew up to my mouth. Choking softly on nothing for a few moments I managed to get the wind back into me before shutting my eyes tightly and forcing myself back up to my feet.

Or trying, the pain made my head fall back to the ground and gasp quietly before an angry voice in Japanese rumbled from a few feet ahead of me.

"You're weak woman, get the hell up and come at me again."

And I thought Zabuza pissed me off when I couldn't understand him. Now he made me close to homicidal.

"I told you I ain't done this shit before." I spat back in a hiss, forcing myself up never the less. I ignored as a Japanese voice relayed it after I spoke.

"You told me the exact same thing two months ago, when we started, now you can safely say you _have_ done this before. Now quit your damn whining and do it again."

Damn bastard, I really was starting to hate him. Particularly now that he knew what I was saying. Rubbing my stomach I slowly took up the stance he had shown me, the starting stance, as he liked to call it. I remember asking him what the actual name of it was and he just told me to shut my mouth and do as I was told. Would it be surprising if I said that it took me a good two weeks just to figure out how to do the stance right?

_…no, no it wouldn't be. _

"Pay Attention!" Oh shit!

I felt my knees bend, the fist moving over my head and my body shoving forward on instinct, a hand came up and grasped my hair before my face was slammed down into the ground, the same hand that bore the fist catching my own that had followed through with momentum, before I let out a yelp as it was twisted and shoved into my back.

"You're dead again. Brat."

I let my head twist so that way I could glare up at him from over my shoulder, wincing at him as to make his only slightly blurry form a bit sharper. I had started taking my glasses off to prevent him from breaking them, even though they were the undestructo-bends. Those damned dark chocolate eyes were in an annoyed glare, I could feel his rough hands turn lightly causing a slight burn against my skin. My wince intensified so I was staring out of slits for eyes.

"I'm dying a lot lately. More so since we've begun." There was no smirk as he stared down at me, I didn't expect any though. Shutting my eyes and sighing I forced my body to relax in the grasp, he would let go once that happened. That's how it always worked out.

Since we started this dance two months ago. Why did I have to open my big mouth anyways?

_-+-Flashback-+-_

_ I hadn't expected a hand to come up and grab my front in reply to my apology to Zabuza. However as my back met with a wall I could only stare at him for a few moments in utter confusion. Why the hell was he looking at me like that? I couldn't have done anything piss him off yet! We just got out of the building! What the hell was glarin' at me like that for!_

_ "Have you had any formal training brat?" I winced at his tone, and the pain in the back of my head. Slowly I shook my head, not trusting my mouth to do any job for me at the moment right now. "Any weapons experience?" Not with the basic blades of this place, except for what he showed me. "Any in herbs, poisons, animals, working with wires, ANYTHING that could be relevant to making you a possible threat except for your Damn little Trick!" Staring at him wide eyed, I slowly shook my head._

_ Why the hell was he yelling? What did I do?_

_ "Then WHY, Do You Keep APOLOGIZING To Me When Just Being As You Are, Makes Your Inexperience, And Thus Uselessness At Shinobi Arts Quite Clear! Stop Your Damn Apologizing Because I Don't Fucking Want It Nor Do I Need It!" I felt my hand clench into a fist in response to this, he leaned forward making me shut my eyes tightly and turn my head away from him, "You're apologizing for something I already fuckin' expect from __**you**__. Don't forget I have been here the entire time with you. And will be here even longer than that."_

_ My eyes opened now and I faced him in slight shock before he leaned back and let go of me. "….What do you mean you expect it from me?" His eyes narrowed back to me in a glare, and then he shoved his hands slowly into his pockets saying nothing for the moment before tilting his head._

_ "Tch, you know well what I mean brat." I felt my eyebrows furrow and my eyes narrowed, my head ducked down slightly and I clenched my hands into fists before gritting my teeth._

_ "Obviously I don't." I felt his glare intensify, a feeling in the air I didn't quite get before rose but I ignored it before I lifted my head. "Other wise I wouldn't have asked. What do you mean You Expect It From Me?" There was no answer for the moment, I simply listened to the silence between the two of us, "You Don't Know. Anything. ABOUT Me! How could you Expect Such when You haven't even tried to Figure Any of That OUT? ALSO!" I shoved my finger into his chest, god this guy pissed me off so much. The finger became a hand and I shoved forward, grabbing his vest and feeling his back meet the wall. His eyes widening down on me as I looked up._

_ "YOU THINK I __**LIKE**__ APOLOGIZING TO YOU FOR MY FUCK UPS! I DON'T LIKE APOLOGIZING TO __**ANYONE**__! IN FACT I USUALLY DON'T! BUT SINCE WE'VE BEEN TRAVELING TOGETHER AND I __**KNOW **__THAT I'M THE USELESS ONE HERE I DO IT TO TRY AND MAKE THE SITUATION BETTER! BUT I HAVE THE LUXUARY BECAUSE I KNOW WHO I AM! WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO SAY THAT YOU EVEN KNOW ME?"_

_I don't think I've ever met the ground so fast, nor with a blade to my throat. My hands were pinned down underneath his feet, pain moving through them as he dug his heels effectively into them and then transferred pressure to my wrists. My hands were locked to my chest and he was leaning forward, the coolness of a blade moving through my hot head, along with the pain of it hitting the concrete._

_ "I'm the bastard that you drug out of the ground and should have been left for dead, woman. And the one who's been watching you for every second you've been alive since that moment. Whether you've been aware of it or not." I opened my eyes ignoring the pain as it caused tears in my eyes, then stilled, those eyes… They made my blood run cold and my voice catch in my throat. He leaned forward, forehead resting against my own._

_My body trembled and I gritted my teeth fighting back a whimper. "I'm also the asshole that knows all your yelling and bitching is simply a cover for that fear that hides in your eyes. Your little tough act is just a small girl playing rough tomboy to throw off the world that you're more afraid of them than they are of you. You mind for a while now has just been the hysteria of a whirlpool hiding underneath an iced over ocean."_

_In response to his words I felt my mind going still. My hand stopped shaking and I felt my lips pull into a line. Numbness moved over me and I felt my usual defense come up. Blank, my mind going a mile a minute though. His head came closer, slipping past my face I could hear the smile on his lips, "You're practiced at icing yourself over so that way no one actually has to see the fear. So that way you don't' have to conquer it, but that way you're not driven by it. You ignore it, and continue on, numbing it out. Just like-"_

"_Your weird iced ocean with a whirlpool?" He sat back, staring at me as I felt my hands clench into fists, my breathing had softened and I slowly looked over at him. There was a few moments of quiet as I looked him up and down. Taking great notice in the warmth that was hovering above me. It was welcomed compared to the shivering that wanted to move through me._

_Slowly I forced myself to inhale deeply and then exhale out, then I did it again, then again, and again…. I needed to calm down… Opening my eyes I felt his hands having released my wrists before shoving myself up with my hands. His blade had been placed back into it's holster, frowning up at him all I felt was mildly lost on what to do now._

_So I asked._

"_So what am I supposed to do?" He didn't say anything for a few moments, just staring down at me with a mildly annoyed glare making me raise my brows, "I'm not some strong bad ass like you Zabuza, I'm just… me. So what the hell is someone like "me" supposed to do." _

"_Tch." He scowled as if the answer was obvious, "Fix it." I frowned, if it where that simple it would have already been done._

"_How?"_

"_On your own preferably," he grunted, I felt his body slowly moving up and watched him get to his full height as I stared up, "but you're such a useless brat that someone Has to help you out."_

"_Oh?" I felt my mind melding back towards our normal routine, the feeling of how it was even before the collar returning so easily. My mind caught to that stability immediately and clung to it. "And whom would that be?"_

"_If I gave you all the answers, what type of teacher would I be?" I didn't smile to this, nor did I smirk, I simply felt my mind reach a coolness and evenness it hadn't been in a while._

"_A very bad one."_

_+-+Flashback end+-+_

And so here we were. Two months later in some forest in who knows where, him, damn close to completely healed, me, a bit worse for wear. The days I was finding were to be counted by bruises. Ten yesterday, eight the day before that. His hands let go of my wrists making me tuck and roll away from him before getting up. My hand coming up onto my shoulder and starting to roll the ball of it wincing. I was learning to trust my body a little more day by day, however it was changing before my eyes. A bit darker in the skin, I was getting tanner the more I stayed outside, or it was the dirt from how many times I ate it. It was getting tighter to my body too. I didn't have even a slight bump of fat on my stomach, it was flat, in fact the line down the middle of it was becoming more pronounced.

My legs had become more toned as well, similar to my stomach, my thighs had shrunk a little, not by much, but enough to be noticed. I was surprised by it all… however… I winced at the pain in my stomach. The lack of cushion made it hurt more each time he hit me in the stomach.

That wasn't all that had changed though… the Akatsuki hadn't shown their faces since we separated from them in the city. When I asked Zabuza about it he would tell me it was none of concern. Well, usually. However lately he would just glance at me then shrug. I didn't know what all that meant, but apparently something was going on underneath the radar. That much was easy to tell.

"Get ready again." I looked up at him for a moment and let my feet move back into the stance. I winced, as the burning in my knees and thighs was the first thing that came to mind. They were shaking, but it was getting close to dusk, so that wasn't that surprising. It always turned out this way. Once again, there was no reason for that to change now either. "Alright." He moved again, his hand coming out and swiping at me, I ducked and was about launch forward again.

_You did that last time. _My right foot pushed off, shoving me away from him making me twist from the momentum, I saw him coming at me by the time I regained my footing again, stepping back I dodged the first swipe at his hand, and then hopping up I managed to dodge the second before his foot launched out and caught my ankle.

_Shit! Recover!_

No Back Seat Fighting Mordi!

I let my hand come out and catch me before dropping it and rolling away from his fist that came towards me. That gave me about two seconds to which I got to my feet. Dizziness pulled at my mind making me wince and grimace before hopping backwards and then launching forward as his arm moved back in for recoil. My own first moved towards his stomach, aiming for it before his other hand launched out.

_DOUBLE SHIIIT! _His palm slammed into my temple knocking me right, my feet following with me and carrying me in the direction before he lunged again. _Drop to the ground! _My knees gave unintentionally taking me out of the way of the double palm strike he was about to deliver on my chest, instead making it skim my forehead. My feet shoved up…

And my forehead slammed into his jaw.

Pain… absolute pain. I stumbled away from him while clutching lightly to my head. His hand came up and rubbed his jaw, which I witnessed from between slit eyes before shaking my head frantically. "Oooow!" I then glared up seeing him coming again. Of course he wouldn't give me a break. My feet became lighter as I moved one way from one strike and then watched another come towards me. I then blinked trying to figure out what to do from here. His body dropped, his leg coming out.

I jumped immediately before his hand caught my ankle, my body falling backwards. "Not good!" I snapped before wincing as I hit the ground. His hand let go and his body lunged forward…

I pulled my knee into my chest and slammed my foot up. His eyes widened as I hit him and he fell back, or, he would have. I watched him use his hands to propel himself up flip, landing on his feet and sliding backwards to a halt from the momentum. I managed to get up onto my feet with in this time.

Now it would be foolhardy to think I was actually winning, I knew the bastard was holding back, how could he not be? I'd be dead otherwise. That was commonsense, but I was doing a little better by each day. That was something I did notice.

"Stop day dreaming." His voice appeared by my ear, I dropped immediately, feeling the swish of his hands go by me. A lot of it was becoming instinct though. To drop and lunge, to bob and weave. Certain cues, simple signals…. I twisted and brought my arm towards my side of head to block the hit that was definitely coming. I felt his wrist collide with it, focusing before feeling his hand grasp my wrist.

My eyes widened before my breath was caught in my throat as he yanked me forward, his knee slamming into my stomach. He let go after a few seconds and I fell to the ground feeling my body twitch and spasm for air. After a few moments I managed it, forcing myself to roll into my stomach and hunch, coughing and gasping before gritting my teeth and wincing.

"I think you're done for today." I glanced up at him for a moment before slowly struggling to pull myself up. Onto my hands and knees and then dug my feet into the ground, I shoved myself up. Slowly… surely… I staggered but managed to stand up before slumping against a tree. I felt Zabuza's eyes for a few moments before wincing a halfhearted glare back. "Yeah… your body can't take much more for today. Not with out a break and it's too late in the day for one of those."

Softly I wheezed out a sound of agreement before shutting my eyes and relaxing against the tree.

_We lasted longer this time at least._

Yeah; but than all those other times weren't nearly as bad as this time.

_Maybe he thinks you can handle a little more._ Now there was a thought. I winced at the aching that was taking over the burning in my stomach before slowly standing up straight without the reliance of the tree. "I'll go get wood then."

"You do that." Without complaint I turned and began to move into the woods that had been surrounding us for so long...

This would at least give me a little bit to walk off the hits he gave me.

* * *

He watched as her back faded into the trees, those once loud thunderous steps now reduced to something soft, quiet, and easy. Still able to be heard, but not nearly as easily as he had been able to pick them up before. His eyes shut slowly and he let out a breath. He was lucky she was so damn stubborn. The first few times they had done this she had been unable to make it through even a round. Those had been a trying few days, the woods had been filled with yelling and tantrums.

In which he would hit her again and she'd shut up due to lack of air. His patience would get very short rather quickly for his taste. But then she had quieted and began to listen more, now she was actually starting to show a little more of herself in the fighting he had her do against him day in and out, improvising and moving herself from the basic stances and attacks he had shown her into something more. He wouldn't add anything like kunai, or even shuriken, there was still time to use. He could afford to push her harder, but soon they would be using other combat devices, before that though he would begin her on chakra.

There wasn't much of a choice on the matter, with that expansive supply and her little friends that could pop out, they would have no choice but to get a leash on it. She needed a bit of control over it, otherwise not only would she be easily to detect, but she would rely on them to defend herself again. He couldn't let that happen, he needed to teach her to use it the correct way.

Zabuza rubbed his face lightly and grumbled at the stubble he felt brushing against his bandages. Letting out a low breath, he had taken on a student and here he was acting like some academy teacher who had a favorite student, unnecessarily worrying about them.

She would no doubt complain when he began her on chakra. It would probably seem a boring subject to her and she'd throw herself into day dreaming again. Which was already a bad enough habit that she fall into when fighting. So many easy attacks she could have just side stepped or stepped back from if she had been paying closer attention.

However towards the end of today's lesson he saw she was starting to focus more, if it would keep though, that would be the more important question to answer. He blinked as he heard a branch give and slowly narrowed his eyes up towards the shark like man that leaned against the branch. Eyes almost glowing in the virgin beams of moonlight for the night, there was quiet between them before Kisame spoke out, "How did today go?"

A noncommittal shrug came from the demon, his eyes lidded as he stared at him, hand clenched at his side before letting out a breath, "She did better."

"Better how, brat?"

This was the reason why the Akatsuki hadn't been seen by her since she had received the collar. It was something Kisame had explained to him on the walk towards the village, something that he, the Uchiha, and Zabuza discussed. Slowly he frowned and shut his eyes.

Right now the criminal organization was in a lethargic period. Their moving from place to place and finding him and the girl in particular a chance that just happened. However this lethargic period of laying under the radar and simply gathering the whereabouts of some targets of their own was to come to an end with in a year's time.

It was due to this, they afforded Zabuza and the girl the time they had now. It had been consented to by their head of organization after Itachi had delivered the news to him. On his return, when they were moving to the village to visit Jirobi, the Uchiha had explained.

"_You'll be given one year Zabuza san, to train her to the best of your abilities. Leader sama does not wish for a simple woman with an odd ability if she can be of no use other than that." _

It made enough sense, however there was the whole thing of training her with out her knowing what was really going on. That was a simple matter of pushing her envelope and striking her temper, a manipulation that was almost _too_ easy for his preferences. However the thought she would be better off if she ended up on her own for some reason in the end made an excellent excuse for him to go through with it. Her temper helped the matter.

But now there was the whole matter of whom he was training her exactly for. He wanted to have the Akatsuki to continue to think it was for them; he needed them to think that, otherwise he and she might be separated permanently. However he would definitely agree with the fact that he was training her for his own purposes as well…

"She's reacting quicker than before, starting to take a bit hard hits too and come out of it rather than curling on the ground." This made the shark chuckle softly at the grunted reply, Zabuza rolling his eyes at the man's almost cheerful demeanor.

"If I didn't know any better you sound almost proud." Zabuza flinched at this and cast a confused glare towards the shark who simply shrugged. "She doesn't know I take it?"

"Of course not…" The demon however stared at the shark, but a small glitter in his eyes revealed his mirth, "But she knows that something is definitely going on behind the scenes."

He fought back a laugh as this didn't seem to please the shark what so ever, seeing him open his mouth but then shut it, disappearing with nothing else to say as the branches rustled lightly, raising an eyebrow he watched her break through, a good bit of kindling and regular pieces of wood in her hands before she looked up and stared at him.

"What?"

"I heard Kisame." He stared at her, seeing those eyes become lidded for a moment, as though trying to see through his mask before she slowly shrugged, "Or you were just talking to yourself."

"I sound nothing like that old bastard." He grumbled softly, the wood dropped down at his feet, making him grunt and pause at her smirk.

"So then I heard Kisame." That was another thing to, now that she had gotten her voice back, she was much easier when she communicated him. Despite his ability to take her out which had been proven time and time again, she had almost no issue with prodding at subjects he had made absolutely clear to her weren't to be pried at. "What did he want?"

He didn't say anything, picking up the wood at his feet and moving towards the circle of ash and dirt, starting to build up a pile and letting out a breath of annoyance feeling her eyes on him the entire time. Slowly he looked over his shoulder at her in a scowl, seeing an annoyed look go back, "Some things are better left alone, this is one of them you brat."

The insult seemed enough to distract her, "First it's brat, then it's woman, and now it's brat again. Will you pick one or just use my name? I use yours."

"I will when and if I ever feel like it, and the same stands for the first two titles you hold before your actual name." He glared at her while pulling out a flint. Silence covered the space between the two of them as he began to create a spark and grow flames out of the small pile. It was relaxing as the crackling of flames came to his ears and he watched her move over towards the fire with a jerk of his head. She sat across from him, eyes lidded before grabbing her bag and digging into, pulling out that ridiculous book she stole from Jirobi while he got up and moved to head towards the river near by.

Glancing at her, he paused and rose a brow before speaking "Why do you look at that damn book every night?" He watched her blue eyes go up and narrow in on him while she dug her glasses case out of her backpack and pulled them onto her face.

"What's going on with the Akatsuki?" She replied back, he glared at her before making an annoyed almost growling sound, "That's what I thought. See you when you get back." He scoffed before turning and exiting deeper into the woods.

She wasn't a woman, and she wasn't a brat, she was an outright she-devil.

* * *

OH MY GOD WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT! PLOT!

Or something of that nature. **I'm thinking of making this story a cross over, because cross overs are fun and I can think of some interesting things to work it by doing so. So here are the choices I'm thinking about.**

_Soul Eater  
Bleach  
Fullmetal Alchemist _

I would make a poll, but my polls fail, so! **REVIEW** and tell me which one you would like to see in that! Till next time!


	19. Blood on the Pages

**A/N: ** O.o ya'll like Bleach a bit much. Alrighty, THANKS FOR REVIEWING TOO….  
**Meco45  
XSweetXSourXSoulX  
HuffieKaulitz  
SerbiaTakesCntrl  
CaitlinXcowz  
Tears of a dying wolf  
Bleep. Bloop. Blurp. (**OH MY GOD I FINALLY GOT IT RIGHT! And yes, there will be romance. However this is Zabuza we're talking about. I'm not gonna make him OMG I LURVE U LETS MAKE BABEHS NOOOW! Gotta work up to it. Right now from what I'm tracing, they've been together for a total of **four months**… I think. And two of those weren't in a language she could understand. So right now it's focusing more on what's going on than their relationship. Soon though, soon. **)  
Lazyninja09  
Kitten652**

Alright, here's the dealio, the vote comes down to these two.

_Bleach  
Soul Eater_

So these two I will be involving. Which comes first is not affected by vote FOR I'Z HAZ PLAN!

**Heads up.**

**This damn chapter is the darkest so far**. (It was written before my finals week) Also, despite what you read.

This ain't the ending of the story.

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even perhaps Norse if I feel like it (just a hint, I felt like it), if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**Blood on the Pages**

I watched as Zabuza's back disappeared into the darkness, quiet before I glanced down back at the book. The crackling of fire in front of me and warmth blossoming into my cheeks and hands from it. It was getting colder at night, something I had noticed, but I wasn't sure how Japanese seasons worked.

On the bright side, it stopped raining.

_Rather be wet and warm than cold and dry. _I frowned at Mordicus's reply to that and simply shook my head focusing on the pages in front of me. The book I took from the old man… I just couldn't explain it.

I don't think anyone could though if they looked at it. That was probably one of the reasons the old man had it to begin with. Letting my lips fall into a line I shut my eyes and sighed before going back to staring at the book. The thing to begin with, was in an entirely different language from Japanese, or English. It wasn't that which caught my eye though, as it was the small orbs that seemed to be surrounded by a glowing red flame. It was familiar…

And then there were pictures of swords in it, some long, some short. All from different spectrums of their own. One in particular I recognized, however I was having a hard time believing it was the exact same blade as the one I thought it was.

_Don't forget where we are. _I nodded towards the vampire's word, a breath exiting me slowly as I shut the book listening to the pages on pages before staring at the fire. I didn't like it, souls and swords, and then there was the fact the book had a language I didn't even recognize… but it all was familiar. Shoving myself to my feet I ignored the stinging that moved through my body. Then had my attention turned away from the stinging as hot pain shot across my senses. The sound of the book hitting the ground from my hand and flopping open going through my ears.

For a few moments I was stunned, staring quietly ahead and confused; my eyes slowly moved to where it was coming from. A small metal pole with a ring on the end of it laid just above my left arm pit. My eyes widened slowly and I felt my mouth open, someone appeared in front of me though, and a fist slammed into my stomach forcing me to hunch over. I choked out a gasp instead before their hand shifted up into my hair.

My head slammed backwards against a tree and I felt black dots moving through my vision, the hand fisted slowly, and I tried to regain focus. Something warm and wet was moving down my side and arm, I could feel it streaming lightly down my arm too.

"It's good to finally meet the one that that brat decided to trade an afterlife in Valhalla for one in Limbo in order to get to help his master."

My sight became sharper with in seconds.

I forced myself to look up at this man, for he was indeed a man. And my god, even with a blade with in my shoulder and in pain, he was beautiful to me. He had tan skin and sharp blue eyes that stared down at me, his body well muscled, and his chest bare. His jaw was strong and his lips were in a line, his nose not crooked but straight and curved, as not to be so sharp. He wore a pair of trousers around his hips and a black belt while they tucked down into a pair of boots that went to the middle of his shins, strapped tight to his no doubt well muscled legs.

"I'm glad you approve." My eyes which had drifted immediately shot up to his face. I came back to my senses and my foot moved up to hit him. His free hand came down, catching my knee and holding it in one massive hand. He stood over me at least by a foot, maybe two. And that was saying something. I was 5' 6". "If I didn't already have plans for you I would already have you in my bed."

_Thinks quite high of himself, doesn't he?_

"Yes Mordicus, I _do_."

A silence took my head as I was left stunned stupid. I slowly stared back up from the hand on my knee to the blonde covered haired head. His eyes were sparkling with something, something I didn't understand at all but my chest pulled at it. Tightening and clenching, my free hand launched to the blade in my shoulder to grab it but his hand in my hair moved, catching it crushingly making me let out a snarl of pain.

"Now now. Don't be hasty, you'll perish soon enough as it is." My eyes widened and the hair on the back of my neck stood up on end. This man….

This… he….

He was going to kill me?

"I'm very glad you are quite quick with simple things like this." My eyes snapped up to him and I opened my mouth, his hand on my knee dropped, his body moving forward and pressing into the kunai. I opened my mouth to scream but the hand that dropped shot up to my mouth covering it so I cried out against it while starting to breathe heavier.

Where the hell was that bastard Zabuza when I needed him! What about that collar shit he put on me a while ago with that jutsu!

_Let me out and I'll take him!_

"I'm afraid neither will work for you my dear. Your little creations won't come out as long as I'm around, and he can't feel you right now because I don't want him too. Or at least, he won't feel what I don't want him too. If I got rid of your presence, there would be some trouble."

What was this guy! A God?

"The God of Mischief to be exact."

…

I stared at him for the longest time after these words left his beautiful mouth. His eyes staring down at me like I was nothing more than a speck, or an ant, and he was the kid with the magnifying glass. The warmth in my shoulder from my blood the only thing that I could concentrate on and even that was becoming cold rather quick. Mordicus said nothing, not even Killer who loved to show up at moments like these opened her mouth.

My body felt as though the ground was jerked out from under my feet, and I was falling.

His hand moved from my mouth as I just continued to stare at him and his face lowered so we were eye level. My breathing had become soft and silent, as though hoping him not to notice me by the sound of it, and my tongue laid limp for the longest time as he let a smile come to his lips.

I felt his hand grasp the kunai, and then he began to twist.

It was then in that dead silence, that I began to scream out for Zabuza.

He never came though.

Laughter mixed in with my screaming, his hand never stopped twisting, the pain began to mute my own voice out of my ears, and I felt something hot and warm moving down my eyes. Eventually he moved the kunai out, and grasped my hands. His other holding the blade slashed it at me.

My voice never stopped except to gasp for air. He didn't stop cutting until finally my body was shaking with cold, his hands to mine the only thing keeping me up. I went quiet as the cutting stopped and my vision was blurring. My ears turning back on, and the sound of my own breathing coming to my mind. I felt as though his hands burned me from a simple touch, as he slowly leaned down.

Tears continued to move down my eyes, blurring my vision worse and letting me also see specks of blood on my glasses.

Why wasn't Zabuza here?

Why hadn't Zabuza come?

"Scream one last time." Loki's body was so close to mine, his hands were underneath my arms, forcing what ever blood I had left to slowly move out of my body. "He'll come if you scream for him one last time. I'll let him hear you before you're gone." Slowly his arms came around my chest and I felt his chin on my shoulder.

_Now we're cold… and wet._

I tried to focus my sight to stare up at him, he was smiling so widely, his perfect teeth shining, and his breathing was only measured in the feeling of his chest touching my own again and again. "After all…" He said something else, but as my own mouth opened.

What ever it was it was drowned out to me by the sound of my own scream. As it died and my vision began to darken from the blur, his hand came up onto the back of my head, I felt his other one move underneath my body, holding me to his hip and starting to rock gently. His body was warm, so warm… I opened my mouth again and heard him shh me.

That sounded about right… now wasn't the time for talking. It was the time for resting. It had to be the time for resting. This god said so…

_ "We were atheists before." _Killer was sounding tired too. She sounded so tired and quiet. Her tone was mellow and I could see her as my vision went black completely. Her eyes flicked to me and they were red, she slowly began to shut them, and I watched as her body faded away.

Something cold was touching my hand; it was colder than I was. Loki stopped rocking and warmth came over my hand. I couldn't see, and I couldn't hear, but I could feel. The warmth continued on, and I felt vibration under me. I felt warmth in my neck and a soft breath against it.

Then my hand began to go numb, the warmth disappeared, and it began to climb up.

_Now we're cold and wet…_

My mind focused on these simple words, someone I knew was sayin' them, but I couldn't be quite sure whom.

_Now we're cold and wet…_

_ Now we're cold and…. Wet._

_ Now we're cold and…_

_ …Cold and…._

_ …

* * *

_

Loki let out a long sigh as the bloody body against his skin finally went limp and her breathing stilled. He had been keeping her alive long enough to scream after he had bled her out past half of her natural blood. Anubis was going to be pissed about this, but really who gave two fucks about what that bastard thought anyways? He slowly looked down towards the blood that covered the ground, and felt a smirk as he held the body to his form as he stared at her book that had laid open.

Blood splattered both pages, and his smirk became a wide grin. He heard someone break through the trees and said nothing as he looked over his shoulder towards the man that had ventured far to go get food for the two of them earlier. Trusting his precious cargo to stay safe enough against the typical bandit and protected enough with the shark watching over her.

A simple charm had sent that bastard back to his headquarters. And Loki had no problem muting her voice from the world. He was a god after all. Omnipotence came with the territory. He smiled slowly at the man that had completely stilled in his tracks, eyes wide and breathing soft while the girl lay to his hip. His hand still on the back of her head, while her hand was limp, but gripped around a kunai that was embedded in his back, her hand covered in his blood which had fallen down her fingers also onto the book. As he held an arm underneath her, he turned fully to the man.

"Good evening." His voice was casual. As though he hadn't taken the life of the girl he held almost lovingly. "Have a good hunt?" His voice didn't speak Japanese, but he knew this man understood him all the same. He watched his eyes move to the bloody corpse and smiled, "Ah, right." He lifted her lightly in his grasp, keeping her to him all the same, "Quite a fighter this one. Used her last bit of brainpower before she went to stab me. And would you look how deep the bugger actually got me? Kept calling for you the entire time too. Even when her voice finally lost itself."

Loki was met with silence and felt slightly annoyed by the man in front of him. He saw his hands were limp to his sides, body still, he took in his face, and those usually harsh eyes he liked to watch ignite with a passion during fighting were as blank as his face was. He let his head come down and slowly nuzzle at the girl inhaling deeply before moving her higher and remaining his grip looking up, feeling blood on his cheek. "She's a bit slippery now even though she's passed. But that's expected due to her ah… well. Do I really have to explain it?"

Loki watched as the man still held no reaction. He tilted his head lightly and then looked back down at her. "Now I see why you thought it was better not to talk to him, he can't even answer a simple question." He stuck his lip out in a pout, and then chuckled, "Don't feel bad man, the last thing she got to see was me. And you know that's a beautiful sight."

Still no reaction. What was it going to take for him to crack this nut? He looked down for a moment and then dropped the legs. The body hung lightly as he twisted her to face him. He grinned as the man flinched now, and then let go. Her body never hit the ground, Zabuza's for had moved, catching it and moved it away from him in seconds. He turned following him as he laid the body down, hands moving over. He watched him check, watched that quiet become frantic movement and feeling.

He could sense as he checked for something, anything, a pulse, a reaction, a hope of some sort, a movement. Loki's voice broke this frantic silence with the most obscure thing he could think to say to the man that would make the most sense, "If you're not careful you're going to get stool on you. Corpses do that you know." He slowly leaned back against the bloody tree and grasped the kunai from behind him, pulling it out of back with a groan, "Unless you're into that type of thing."

The blood lust that hit the air was so potent he felt his loins quiver and slowly looked over at him. An impish smile coming onto his lips before he whispered softly, "So you do have some "kick" in you after all." He spun the kunai on his hand and glanced at it, it was such a timid weapon compared to what he could actually do. He threw it to the side and then turned. "Well then boy, come on."

He watched the giant blade that belonged to Zabuza fly at him, his hand coming up and batting it away. He then moved forward and caught the man around the stomach with a fist, sending him backwards and into a tree. His body moved forward and he tilted his head, "You won't die like she did, you're far to stubborn for that. But you _will_ die. You would deserve a spot in Valhalla… You'd die on the battle field." His hand came up and he watched the man's eyes widen as his hand morphed into a claw. "I'll keep this honest then."

Zabuza's body lunged up for him, and his claw came down.

Blood splattered the ground, some of it the god's, some of it the man's. Collecting both as the shinobi fell limp, Loki moved back to the book and then let his hand strike across it, their blood mixed falling onto both the pages. His eyes turned back to the hard brown eyes that were staring up at him, the man cut from the shoulder diagonally across the chest. His lungs clogging with blood. "I was just getting so bored watching you two. Your stage was too familiar, and I Felt you had a much higher advantage." He began to walk back over after grasping the book in hand.

"It got interesting at first but there was just that lull with her gaining her voice and you were just all for training. Hey man, I don't blame you, the kid was weak, but a guy can only watch someone eat, train, sleep, and repeat so many times! While it might have entertained someone like your last brat-" he noticed a flinch and the eyes widen up at him, "For someone of my stature there's got to be a shit ton more than that. You're entertainment man, so you have to make sure you entertain your audience."

"Who-"

"While the kid can know, trust me, you're not allowed to. Hell, I don't even think you'd be able to comprehend this shit with out a little help from her." His fingers began to draw lightly across lines and he smirked, "I mean, she's the one that recognized this book I planted. And she's the one wearing the collar I planted too. Think about it, your civilization really have that kind of technology?" He looked down and shrugged not expecting an answer and turning away from him at the small fire that was starting to dim. He looked back at Zabuza who was staring up at him, his breathing getting softer.

"No, you bet your ass it doesn't boy. There's no way in hell it could. But I am what I am, so changing your reality a bit isn't that hard. I mean. That bastard Anubis did it didn't he? You were supposed to die as it is, but you dug yourself out of your grave. Now I wonder why that is…" he tapped his chin mockingly, "Oh yeah, your brat didn't want you to be alone. And right now you're not, are ya? You're here with me, dying. Just like she was."

Loki frowned however as he looked at the body that lay near the tree before moving over and setting the book on her chest. His hand moving her limp arm over it, "She finally went out about a minute before you arrived. She died beautifully. Granted, the process of doing so she fought back a bit, however when she finally cut me…" He smiled and looked down at him as he drew his hand across two lines of text. They began to glow through the blood and he watched as the ground underneath her began to glow.

Slowly she began to sink, a small grin coming to his face as two more sets of text began to become ablaze. He heard shouting behind him and looked over to see him trying to crawl, walking over he slammed a foot down onto his back and stared down before looking up, seeing her body and the book disappear before the ground retained itself.

"When she finally cut me, had she had a little bit left in her, I would have made love to her right then and there, even taken her with me instead of this. Given her a good old fashion happy ending. She would have given me a brat like my others from so long ago. It probably would have healed her nicely too if I screwed her…. A little demi that was just so cute and adorable…" He glared down at Zabuza for a few moments and then gave a dry chuckle, "Strong too. Did you know…" He watched as the man's struggling began to cease as his own wounds, not as many, but much more fatal than hers had been continued to gush out blood, "that this is the second time she's died?"

He felt the lack of motion and looked down with a smile coming onto his face. He felt the life force coming out of this one too, and slowly let out a soft chuckle as the last bit of him faded. He didn't bother to listen to his thoughts, and he didn't really care about the matter either. He never gave two shits about this man. It was the girl that he cared about, simply because of Anubis's fondness over her.

There was that and the other two of her trinity she had back home. He was going to utilize them eventually. He looked up at the sky as the ground beneath the body he held his foot on began to glow too, feeling it start to sink into the ground before it was completely enveloped in it. His eyes turned to the blood covered camp sight and the fire that was going out, having no more to feed on before he moved in front of it and sighed crouching as it went out. The coals glowed before he smirked.

Looking up he stared at the star filled sky that smiled down; he could practically hear the screaming of Anubis and the cries of the little human soul that looked down on him from Limbo. His arms crossed and he slowly bowed his head, his blood covered body shaking as snickers came from him, held back, and then followed into chuckling. His head threw back and laughter which turned into hysterical shrieking began to exit him

His hands which had spread out from his body and his arms which had outstretched jerked down as he clenched his hands into fists, shouting out, "ALRIGHT YOU BASTARDS! INTERMISSION'S OVER!" His arms spread out and his body immediately changed, wings outstretched and a mighty winged serpent shot off into the air with a single flap.

_**"LET THE SECOND ACT BEGIN!"**_

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Review please, and I'll see you next chapter!


	20. Wrong Outfit for a Funeral

**A/N: **First and foremost, thank you for reviewing too!

**XSweetXSourXSoulX  
SerbiaTakesCntrl  
SilverRavenofthefullmoon  
Off-Color  
lovepeacechickngrease **(This is easier to remember. And it will not come up as a website thus going blank when I post chapters!)  
**Cheshirecat13** (Why thank you ^.^)  
**Falling Right-Side Up  
Letta-Love** (Even if you can't read and review except for every once in a while, it's always a pleasure to have your input! And I know the feeling, I'm about to undergo a 19 credit course load and we run semesters.)  
**Malkavian-Acts**

Alright, so this chapter was supposed to be something very big. Like Huge! And that's what it worked out to be, the reason it took so long was because of the mind set I had to get into for it. You'll see as you read.

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY ANIMES IN HERE! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even perhaps Norse if I feel like it (just a hint, I felt like it), if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**Wrong Outfit for a Funeral…**

I felt weightless and empty. My eyes felt heavy and my breathing was soft, echoing in my ears. I could feel something bristling against my body, firm, but giving way to me. It was so dark with my eyes shut. I didn't hear anyone around me; there was no soft, almost silent breathing I had gotten accustomed to hearing from my usual companion. No smell of sweat, or the occasional metallic salty tint from when I had gotten hit to hard from one of his hits.

There was nothing around me.

I struggled to open my eyes. They had a feeling; they were heavy, like a few tons was pulled on each of them, holding them shut forcefully. I felt my jaw move, pressure, slowly, pain.

Where was I? What was going on? What happened?

Pain… New things began to come in. My fingers first, twitching, moving, they each hurt. They tingled with sharp little jolts of electricity that danced up my palms, then up to my wrists. Forearms. Elbows…

Light peeked through my eyelids as I pulled, my lips were moving now, and I could hear breathing. It was sharp little gasps, shuddering, pulling at my chest. My throat screaming, as it was dry and ragged, a soft whine came to my ears. It was broken and gritty, my ears screamed in pain at the sound of it. The whining slowly turned into screaming, the pain in my throat increased.

My eyes shot open and tears began to form in the corners of them as light bore down on me. What the hell was that? It hurt to keep them open! I blinked rapidly and my focus began to return. So did my awareness for the situation. It all came flooding back, like a giant tsunami that slammed into me; my entire body flinching at the realization but then falling limp in its place in the grass.

I had died again, this time murdered. My body shot up, hunching over as my slick arms moved to my stomach as shaky breathes exited me. My forehead was slick as well as my eyes gained tears again again. It began to move down my cheeks as I felt my nose fill with snot and my head go hot. I had lost it all again. I had lost _everything_ again! A hoarse cry ripped through my throat as I trembled. My teeth gritted and that familiar pain moved through my jaw.

_Every – __**Fucking –**__**THING!**_

It started low, in my chest. Pulling and hissing, bubbling almost seemed the appropriate term. My mouth opened, aching, a soft snarl, a growling, then it began to get louder and that pain in my throat began to return. My head threw back and I let it go. Screaming angrily, it just… it felt almost right. Weights on my shoulders began to be lifted as my fist slammed down onto the ground beneath me.

Again!

AGAIN!

_AGAIN!_

It was gone! It was all fuckin' gone and once again it had been ripped from me! My family, my friends, my home, Zabuza, again Death had Taken It ALL FROM ME! And Death beheld the Name of LOKI.

"Damn it…." Blood came down from my hands from rocks digging and cutting into them. It hurt, but what the hell did I care? It didn't hurt nearly as much as the pain in my chest and the tightening in my throat. It didn't hurt as bad as the tears running down my cheeks or my jaw that was gritted. It didn't hurt as much as knowing I was once again alone, it didn't hurt as much as the only thing I could describe as _agony._

His name ushered from my mouth in a low single hiss. The silence in the wake of it as thick as the fog that lingered at the end of a bloody battle.

The space around me began to darken with a shadow and I slowly let my eyes lift up, the silence becoming filled with my mouth's ragged breaths for air, my teeth bared as I shoved myself to my feet slowly and lifted my head. A person dressed in black was moving away from me, their walk was steady and easy; my feet began to press in the dirt as I moved after them.

Soon voices began to come to my ears as I moved, breaking through a group of trees and looking up and down to where I was. It looked familiar but…. My eyes turned back to the person dressed in black as I followed them, their eyes were a dark blue and their hair was graying. They were tall, taller than me… I moved closer towards them, they took no notice of my blood stained body or clothing, could no one see me here?

I peered up at their face, a pepper colored mustache on their face, lining their jaw and chin, high cheek bones and dimples… so familiar.

His eyes were tear filled, red and puffy, he grasped a tissue and moved forward wiping his face and blowing his nose, I followed quietly behind him before he came to a woman who had long brown wavy hair. Her own blue eyes were red but she wasn't crying. Her lips were in a firm line and her hands were clenched into fists. Her knuckles white, I could see her jaw clenched, she was holding them back… holding tears back.

She was so familiar too, she was shorter than me, her body was in a black dress and proper-heeled shoes. Turning my head to the left of them I stared at a large rectangular box that shined. It was a navy blue; the top of it open and pictures were lining the top part of it. I flinched.

A casket? I heard a sniffle and immediately turned staring into the group of people behind me. A sea of black and some blue and white for improper people here and there. Several tan folks approached the man and woman, I noticed as her hand clenched so tight that a trickle of red stood out vividly from her fist. The man shaking hands with the tanner folks. They had to be from the south or the south west. A loud sob broke out from the sea of black and I looked over at the others attending what I could only guess to be a funeral reception.

A pleasantly plump girl with short light brown hair had her face buried into the shoulder of a slightly larger black haired girl. The shorter's rosy cheeks were tear stained and I could hear her crying "why" over and over again. I watched as a tall lengthy boy standing next to her, raised his hand, his own hair cut to only half an inch or so and his face was stern. He was clean shaven as he wore a black suit as well. His hand fell onto her shoulder and he squeezed it before the two, he and the larger girl let their arms come down. He wasn't crying, he however was shaking, his teeth gritted and eyes shut.

The large girl's face had buried into the sobbing girl's as well as I noticed behind her black glasses, she as well was choking back cries while her body underwent tremors.

A male voice broke out beside me, someone had walked up while I wasn't noticing. A boy with black hair and an early receding hairline. His eyes were narrowed on the casket behind me and his red lips pulled back. His face was also clean-shaven and he was wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt.

I slowly turned towards him before he spoke, "Hey… this is a really shitty thing you're doing to us you know." He wasn't talking to me though, he was talking to the casket, "It's not fair…. I don't see you in forever and this is how I have to see you now? Damn it…" A hand came up and another person was behind him. This was a woman who was tall and lengthy, a feeling of sorrow hit me and I felt confused as I saw her, her hair was dyed black and her lips were painted it. She wore a black vest from hot topic, and no doubt Tripp Pants.

The immediate connection made my mind pause and slowly I looked at them for a few moments. Her wearing those must of meant I was no longer on the plain of existence that I was in Naruto… I was back to my own… but given that no one could see me…

I shook my head and let it go for a moment, the conclusion wasn't important right now. What was going on was, and I didn't know why I felt this exactly, I just had a very good gut feeling. Her feet stepped forward, she was wearing flats and she leaned forward over the casket as the boy walked away, her eyes were shining as well with tears.

"This is really unfair." She said it while choking softly, I blinked and turned my head towards the crowd, "You're supposed to be here, it's your job to be here…" I heard her knees hit the ground and turned towards her moving behind her while I stared down, my eyes didn't wander to the casket, I didn't want to look in. "You're too important to just go missing! We need you here! You're not Done here!"

A pair of hands came through my body making me flinch, the hands planting on the tall woman's thin shoulders.

_They were always thin. Jill was always thin._ My mind whispered out. I didn't pay attention to the thought though as a large man spoke, the voice light and filled with misery, a croak as it managed, "Jill, get up…. Please… get up. She wouldn't want to see you like this. She'd want you to be strong for her. Please…" His voice was getting lost in a sob, he stopped talking to the woman in front of him now, I felt it lift behind me, higher. He was talking to the deceased, "get up…" I watched him stumble forward.

The man was large, his eyes shut and his chubby cheeks red as tears came through them. His large hands landed on the side of the casket and I moved to the side to see his profile. His black hair was bent forward with his form. "I'm begging you, get up. Please get up…."

"Alright you guys, that's enough…" It was a low voice now, someone I also felt was familiar, but didn't quiet grasp. Slowly I turned towards the boy that held blonde hair and a pair of glasses. He was taller than me and his eyes were turning down towards the casket as well. His body was relaxed but his face, which was peppered with slight acne, was grave. "Not here."

The two collected themselves and moved back to the sea of people while the boy approached himself, turning to stare down at the casket. I felt a slight comfort at his presence in my mild confusion and turned with him. Resting my hand on the coffin I slowly allowed my eyes to shut before I felt warmth. My eyes opened to see his hand had planted down where my own blood stained one was it. As it seemed I was merely an astral spectator here, it of course went right through it. I let my eyes wander though at the new comfort he brought to me as I stared at the body now.

And then things _clicked_ into _place._

Once again I felt my throat get scratchy, my eyes getting hot and felt as warmth dripped down my face, my teeth gritting as an emotional overload conquered my confusion and my jaw began to ache with pain as my teeth clenched tightly together to try and restrain them.

The girl below me was 5' 6". She had brown hair that went to the back of her neck, it was well groomed and fanned lightly underneath her, unlike my own hair that now reached my shoulders and was shaggy from the months with Zabuza. Her eyes were shut and her lips were placed lightly together. Her hands were up on her stomach, like something from sleeping beauty. Her skin was pale and make up covered up the fact her lips were blue. Around her neck was a necklace with three gold diamonds attached to it. It was a Christmas gift she received from her mother, it was from Zales.

She wore a black dress with transparent black sleeves she got from Dillards in Clovis, New Mexico one year when it was on sale. Her mother was there. She liked it because it reminded her of a witch. She liked it because it was black. She liked it because it was on sale and cheap. Her mother liked it as well.

It was the same dress she wore to a cousin's funeral, she had only experienced two in her life, and one was last summer. And now she wore it to her own.

On her feet she did not wear stockings, through treatment her legs were shaved and smoothed to perfection, instead she wore strap Spartan like sandals. She had convinced her grandmother to get them, and after she had, wore them and walked in them often. Until her feet were calloused and ached.

If you looked closely, like I had a habit of doing, you could see areas where stitches were being covered, as this body had to be placed back together in some areas. But the corpse itself was beautiful when finally placed together. It was a masterpiece of modernization of the dead.

I hated the sight of it, because while this was indeed my corpse. And it held the same silver class of 2009 ring around it's right hand's ring finger, an item that was never taken off for more than a few hours for five years straight, it wasn't _me._

"Me" was standing beside it.

"Me" was staring down at it and insulted by it's weakness, it's mockery of life, it's boldness to look so alive, like it was almost sleeping.

"Me" was hearing the cries behind her, the whispered condolences to her mother and father on the right. Her mother restraining like the strong woman she was to keep from crying and losing the battle. Her father also quietly crying, as he and she now had to go through the pain of burying their first, last, and only child. Something no parent should have to ever experience.

And it was "Me" that was hearing her friends and family, those she knew and had met on the road to life crying behind her, whispering to each other. No one saying a joke, no one laughing, no cheerfulness or happiness. All mourning the loss of this thing in front of me that was the physical embodiment of "Me."

But _it _wasn't "ME."

_It_ didn't hear the crying.

_It _didn't feel this pain.

_It _didn't care.

_It _didn't have a god damn clue to ANYTHING that was going on!

_It _may have been "Me" but it sure as fuck wasn't right now.

_It _still had everything.

While "Me", I, had lost it. Only brought back to watch as _It_ held in my face what it still had, and what _It_ was cruelly doing to the people that I had long considered in one way or another had some part of them that belonged to "Me."

I was breathing in heavy gasps now and my body was shaking. The anger I had welled in my chest and deep, I shut my eyes and slowly fought back the want to cry out, scream, beat, hit, something. I wanted to yell at those behind me. I wanted them to stop crying, to stop mourning over this thing. To stop shedding tears on something that didn't care.

It hurt so much to see them all. It hurt to see Heather cry with Kris, and Chip fight back tears that escaped. It hurt to see Daniel shake in spot while Jill and Noah, two of my oldest friends that followed me through hell and back before I even knew the other four held each other while they sobbed.

It ripped into my core to see my mother bleeding in her hand from clenching it to hard, to see my father fighting back the want to beat something in anger and grief.

God it hurt, it hurt so much. My knees gave and I fell to the ground as I let my tears come freely while I hunched over. My mouth moving with out my say as I cried. Finally I managed to strangle something out, anything. I needed to say anything, to stop this pain.

"Stop! I'm Coming Back! I'm COMING Back! Just Stop!" But it continued, the pain continued on, the crying echoed in my ears, my voice falling deaf on ears and my eyes clenched tight as my hands moved over my ears. I wanted it to go away as I shouted it out over and over again, I didn't even question it's truthfulness or not, this was too much. Too much pain, I couldn't stand it, it had to go away.

_Stop, please stop. Just make the hurt go away!_

"I'm coming back!" I cried again, my eyes shut tight, "I'm Coming Back, Just Stop Crying! Stop!"

No one heard me, and no one would. My lungs inflated as I took a gasping breath and felt my breathing getting shorter. My body collapsing on the ground and my hearing cutting out as my eyesight blurred.

I stared at my arm in front of me though, covered with dry crusted blood, donning rags for clothing, shoes beaten to hell, cuts healed though. The silence let my mind surreally wander for the moment.

If Mordicus was here, he would point out how improperly dressed we were for a funeral. We were in a shitty shirt, and our shoes weren't even black. He would have made a joke about how we were the color of passion at first, being drenched in our own blood, and then we moved to the color of shit, as it dried. He would have invoked a thought that brought up the fact that much of society was like that. Passionate in our actions, and then later given the result, we may feel like shit about them.

But he wasn't here.

And because of that, it was easy to recall the fact that in the beginning, he never was. In the beginning, he was just a part of me. He was a shield I made as an excuse for how I felt, or how I acted at certain times. He and the other three were pillars of strength that I had made young, when I was a delinquent and needed something to grasp.

But none of that really mattered here… I had only myself to rely on now. My second death had pulled them away from me. I was going to get them back somehow…

Sound began to come back with this thought and it dulled into white noise soon, my eyesight focused and I slowly picked myself up, my breathing was no in low breaths but forced to be steady and even. I looked back at my friends and the pain that occurred dulled, numbing out soon before I let my hands shove into my pockets.

Reaching behind me, I watched as someone came near the casket. My hand came up onto the lid that was propped open and rested on it. I wondered for a moment before yanking. It fell with a bang much to my surprise. The "it" creature was hidden from sight now. Silence had filled the room and I slowly lifted myself. I didn't' go through my casket, it didn't make sense, but I didn't care either. I climbed on top of it and turned towards everyone now.

I could see them all staring at it in confusion, some faces still grief stricken and wide eyed, but slowly I cleared my throat and shoved my hands back into my pockets. I had to do this while it was still quiet. I had to, there was no sense behind it, but I just had to.

"I'm Coming Back!" The force I felt behind these three words was so strong I couldn't help but shout them, anger infusing into my mind, over riding everything else, "So Stop Yer Fuckin' Crying! Stop It Right Now! I'm Fucking Coming Back and I Won't Stand For You All Giving Any More Tears On My Account! Stop Crying! I'M. _COMING_. **BACK**!"

The silence remained thick; I shut my eyes slowly and felt a bitter smile come to my face at the promise that I just made. I felt my stomach churn at the thought of how I would do it, and my head feel light at the phenomenal claim I just made. None of them heard me but I remained standing on the casket, hearing as a sea of murmurs began to come back up from them. My eyes getting lidded as the funeral reception continued.

However there were a few people that hadn't gone back to normal. My eyes narrowing down behind my glasses as Kris, Heather, and the blonde boy, Eric, from earlier all were staring at the spot I was standing. My hands came slowly onto my hips and I leaned forward, their eyes were wide and I felt a smile briefly come to my lips, I didn't know if they could hear me or not, but it didn't matter.

"So just… keep an eye and ear out for me."

_Because one way or another… I'll find my way back here. To hell with whatever this casket under me says._

The scene around me changed as fog immediately ushered out from different areas of my view. My eyes widened as it soon enveloped the area around me. My breathing slowly moved in as it wrapped around me and almost caressed my body. This was fog so thick it felt like clouds, my body becoming wet with the water vapor and a unwelcome familiar voice coming through as the fog was replaced by arms that moved around me.

"Such large claims for such a small mortal." My body began to relax into the chest that remained at ease behind me. One hand came up and grasped my chin, I felt my head tilt back as my body refused to move any more, soft lips came and pressed to mine making me shut my eyes slowly. I imagined them to be the thin lips of Zabuza, not because I wished it, but it was more preferred to the owner of these. To the smooth soft skinned but hard muscled body behind me. The arm around my diaphragm holding me up as one hand moved under my shirt.

I felt it grasp my left breast but not squeeze hard, it was gentle and the mouth continued on my own as their hair brushed against my face. My eyes remained shut and I refused to open them towards them. "How are you going to accomplish such things hrm? Not without your own bit of mischief I would hope."

Zabuza didn't talk like that; I wish Loki would shut up. I wish my body could move so I could pull away from him and hit him, beat him. I wish I had a kunai or two I could ram into his heart and then maybe even carve it out and go Hannibal Lecture on it. A warm chuckle appeared behind me as I felt his face bury into my neck. Hair brushing against my cheek.

"Little one you are going to bring me even more entertainment and amusement, I just see it now. There is no doubt in my mind about this…" I felt his mouth beside my ear, "I can feel it." His teeth nibbled then at the lobe on them and I felt a bit of frustration again. "It is interesting how you grope onto the mere idea of him like a life boat in the middle of the ocean." I almost sensed as his lips pulled into that grin. "You know I killed him after I killed you?"

My breathing stopped for a moment. And then it began to slowly pick up again. I felt his tongue lave over my neck though, a familiar burning telling me that the jutsu was there still however. His teeth clamped lightly on the collar and he tugged before he turned me and I stared up as he grasped my chin. His lips pulled into a smile as my eyes opened and glared at him.

"Don't look at me like that." He smiled sheepishly, "I'm not so cruel as to leave you with out him, Anubis has you both under a contract and I can't break another God's contract. I'm not supposed to break promises either, but that gaki Haku or what ever holds no bounds over me." He leaned forward and nuzzled the side of my face, one arm coming down underneath my back side lifting me as he settled me on his hips, "You'll get to see him again." His lips pulled into that grin again, "Eventually."

He was such a bastard… I let my teeth bare into a snarl slowly before he blinked and then let out a cackle. His beautiful face contorting slightly into something serpent like. I felt fear crawl up my spine but gulped it back down before he grinned wildly at me. "Well, let's get you to the second stage, shall we?"

What in the hell did he mean? His hand moved behind him, grasping something in the fog and shoving it into my form on my lap, he lifted one of my arms and wrapped it around it. I let my eyes drift down. The book…

My eyes flicked back up towards him and he smirked as he continued, "I don't want you running around in limbo for too long after all, one of you is enough." I felt my throat working slowly and then my vocals, I opened my mouth to say something but his hands came up and picked me up by my front while I held tightly to the book. I hung from the rags as the area around us began to darken, "I'll see you next act." What the hell did he mean?

And then he threw me. At first, everything was just black, and then color erupted in front of me, mostly greens and browns. My breathing became soft and I felt my eyes widen as I clutched the book to my chest, my foot hit something and my body went forward and began to roll, branches and rocks cut into my skin as it happened. My body gained a red path under it but it wasn't my own. I spotted a black car behind me as I rolled missing a roof and at least three people in it.

And then pain erupted as my body hit that said car, and the force caused it to lift and go flying up into the air and roll, the momentum in my body not stopping as it landed on it's side and my back slammed against it, causing it to fall over. My body burned and my eyesight filled with tears as it gained black dots and everything began to darken. However I didn't numb up, and felt a small smile come to lips as the sound of birds moved through my ears even.

I fell into blissful unconsciousness underneath a sky that peeked through tree branches and covered in fresh and dry blood, a book hugged tightly to my chest, while hearing amongst the wild life angry shouts and a woman's voice.

* * *

**A/N: **AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I DID IT! MUHAHAHAHAHA! Alright. Review, and don't worry about our good angry brooding ninja. He'll be up in the next chapter and we'll catch up. Things get…. Happier? Happier. From this here hard hilltop.


	21. One Little Ghost's Knowledge

A/N: Holy mother of god, we're at chapter 21, and I've been workin' on this story for over a year…. Amazing. Alrighty! Let's get this out of the way cause I have something important to say!

**Thank you for reviewing to!**

**XSweetXSourXSoulX  
SuzuranCrow23  
lovepeacenchickngrease  
SerbiaTakesCntrl  
Off-Color  
SilverRavenofthefullmoon  
Irish Orchid**

_Thank you to everyone as well who has read up to this chapter! And also who have been onboard for the ride! We're not over yet, and we won't be for a while, but I still want you guys to know I really appreciate it._

Now, the plans for a cross over for this story, are still in action, it is what is going to be cross overed to that is being thrown out. The reason for this…. –taps chin- Well, the reason for this is mostly because plots get blown out of proportion and I know how this story is going to end. (And I also may have a sequel to it in the works). So I need to take steps. Not leaps. This being, the cross over will be brought down to one anime. Maybe two if what I think has to happen does happen.

So anyways! There you go! Now on with Chapter 21!

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY ANIMES IN HERE! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi and any OC's that appear in this story. That's right, Kris, Chip, Heather, Daniel, Noah, and Jill, I own you all. –Runs away from mob now attempting to attack her for rights while cackling.-

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even Norse, if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**One Little Ghost's Knowledge…**

Zabuza could hear his heart beating in his ears as he maintained steady breathing. He obtained he was laying on what felt to be soggy ground. His eyes were shut; he felt exhausted. He didn't want to get up, nor did he want to acknowledge he had woken up. He didn't want to acknowledge the reality that was settling onto his mind. He was a man that could deal with the reality, but failure wasn't something that he enjoyed facing, he believed he hated it more than most in fact.

He opened his eyes soon after a deep breath, one he noticed, that rattled in his chest and made it ache. Growling, he sat up carefully, feeling his chest itch at the irritation of, as he looked down, the dried blood that had caked the slash wound he had gained from that bastard. Rage set in as he glared, inwardly seething at the memories that flooded into his head as the reddish-brown crust that clung to him.

That bastard killed him, and more sourly, the little she-devil he had become accustomed to being his student, companion, and company. He also had _failed_ to protect her, to feel her in danger, and threatened. He had failed to repay his debt, as well as failed to arrive in time so she didn't have to at least die alone.

His head bowed forward and his eyes darkened, this was the third time he failed, wasn't it? He felt his teeth gritting into each other, the first time with the assassination attempt and coupe, the second time, Haku, and now the third. Good shinobi don't cry though, and they don't scream out in anger. They maintain control over their emotions and thought…

So he just sat there in the fog that was floating around him, on the soggy ground that was making his ass irritably wet, and seethed quietly. His eyes shutting and his hands coming up and covering his face as his elbows rested on his knees. His teeth bared against the world and his eyes burning holes into nothingness.

A soft chuckle reached his ears, and his eyes narrowed at the familiarity of it all though. His breathing softening as a brief shock took over him.

"It's not like you to sulk Zabuza sama."

His head whipped to the side and his eyes nearly bulged out of his head. His breathing stilling as he stared at the form in front of him.

There was no difference in the boy's clothes, nor in the way his soft chocolate eyes stared at him. His pink lips pulled into a slight smile and his porcelain skin almost glowing. The fog began to clear slowly as the boy moved towards him, same green kimono he wore before, feet however, bare as he came to a stop and crouched in front of him.

Haku's eyes shut and he tilted his head, his black hair swishing lightly. "You're quite the mess I see."

…Did this mean this time, he was actually dead? Zabuza said nothing for a few moments before slowly rising to his feet. He had to be dead for sure this time then. He eyed Haku cautiously, perhaps he had landed in hell, and this was a trick.

"Not hell. Limbo. Hell is just a variant of punishment." A male voice ground out from behind him. Immediately he whipped around, hand reaching for his blade only to find it gone. His eyes narrowed as he reached for a kunai instead. Also gone, his eyes piercing down the figure in front of him before he felt confusion.

The jackal head that stared back to him pierced into his being with golden eyes. His torso was bronze and kissed greatly by the sun, while a white robe hugged around his hips and his long legs were just as human as his chest. His hand held a spear and he slowly looked towards the crouching boy. Zabuza felt his shoulders raise and his head bow in a slight threat.

Haku's hand slipped onto his shoulder and he felt his body shiver at the familiar softness and warmth. His eyes turned towards the chocolate brown that glimmered lightly before the boy spoke again, "You're fine, Zabuza san."

He raised a brow to this and immediately scowled at the boy. He was relieved to see him, to see he was fine; the dulled hole that was one a jagged gape in his chest was smaller than it was before, and he felt the ache that was there gone.

However _he_ was not fine. The girl was dead.

"Temporarily, just as you are." His eyes moved towards the Jackal like being, his breathing soft and he then opened his mouth.

"So the teme got me then."

"Loki's tricks are known to have such underhanded measures." The jackal replied.

"Anubis dono and I have been watching his movements from here for quite some time."

From Limbo? Zabuza slowly looked towards his once subordinate and his eyes narrowed lightly. Why was Haku in Limbo to begin with? Hadn't the child passed on? The boy was supposed to wait for him on the other side, not in between! He blinked as a small smile came from the boy's lips, he would have sworn there was pain in those eyes, but he could only find a glint of happiness.

"This is my fate now." Was all that was stated, they had traveled together for a long time, the boy had a way of reading him not many others were even capable of comprehending. "Zabuza san. Anubis dono allowed me to make a deal with him in order to assure you would not be alone."

_"Changing your reality a bit isn't that hard. I mean. That bastard Anubis did it didn't he? You were supposed to die as it is, but you dug yourself out of your grave. Now I wonder why that is…" _

Zabuza's eyes widened as he stared at Haku in realization. His breathing soft as that bastard's words solidified back into existence, only remembered near the moments of his departure from his world.

_ "Oh yeah, your brat didn't want you to be alone. And right now you're not, are ya?" _

He slowly felt his face set into a light scowl as he stared at the boy and then looked over towards the man behind him. Haku had referred to this man as Anubis, thus the man that he had scored a deal with to bring him back. Why did he bring him back?

The question came out in a low hiss and the boy looked down with a small frown. It wasn't a sheepish look that came to him though; it was a small pitying look. He offered no explanation however as he turned away from Zabuza and moved deeper into the fog, it clearing in his footsteps leaving a path.

The spear in Anubis's hand tilted forward in gesture and Zabuza was distracted momentarily as the dog growled, "Move." He followed and felt the canine humanoid bring up the rear. His eyes narrowed as Haku came to a halt at a well, his breathing easy and then stilled as he heard a snarl of familiar gibberish. His feet carrying him forward and staring down into the clear waters.

He felt his mind harden immediately at what he was seeing.

"This god of mischief is particularly cruel." Was all that ushered softly from the ghost's mouth. Zabuza felt his hand clench at the head of the girl staring down at what was he could only see as a casket. The person inside however being the body of the girl herself.

_"Did you know… that this is the second time she's died?"_

"This is the result of the first." Anubis murmured from behind him. His eyes flicked over towards the god that watched quietly down. His face unable to be comprehended for emotions. Zabuza's eyes turned back down, watching the girl's body slowly hunch over and shoulders shake. Her head bowing and then the slight shifting indicating she was looking around.

He heard her screams soon enough, mostly towards her parents though at the moment, even though he saw the collar clearly on her neck, he couldn't understand a word. It was only moments before she fell to her knees and then onto her side.

He fought against such showing of weakness effecting him, and allowed his gaze to go lidded and neutral while his heartbeat slowed in his chest watching. His hearing cutting out as he stared quietly. His first time he had died, he guessed it would be called that, he had lain beside Haku, until his last breath and it had snowed.

He apparently had been buried, which meant someone had been decent enough to do it for him, just as these people were doing for her. However when he had died, he had been ready to go. He had been fortunate to die beside his student and was, at the time he thought, heading to spend the rest of his existence with him.

Haku smiled to himself lightly as his precious person's eyes gained a slight knowing.

This girl hadn't been ready to die. Nor perhaps, did she even know until the very moment she saw her own coffin that she did.

He once again steeled himself against his own emotions, and threw them into the back of his mind. Empathy was not a strong point for him and he didn't need to use it at the moment. He needed to remain clear headed and gain an understanding for the situation completely.

"She was killed in an accident." His eyes flicked towards Haku coldly and raised a brow as the boy continued, "Her former connection with Kisame san allowed for her to easily be brought in. You two are connected more ways than one."

The teme had said something similar when he was bleeding out. However he still didn't understand. As Haku kept his mouth shut though, he felt annoyance rise in him, as well as an irate mood follow. He twisted his head viciously towards the humanoid that simply continued to stare down. His golden eyes soon coming and piercing back into Zabuza's.

There were no words spoken and Zabuza felt his lips pull into a frustrated snarl as he looked back down.

"You'll have to leave soon." Haku's voice whispered softly, "Anubis dono is the only thing keeping you from following right after her to where she is going." He didn't let the melancholy tone go unnoticed. His eyes flicked up and stared down the soft chocolate eyes that stared back. The god turned with a huff, moving into the fog out of sight for the moment.

With him gone, the demon opened his mouth and repeated his earlier question.

"Why didn't you let me stay dead?"

Haku could only manage a small smile, he wished he could tell him, however it appeared that he couldn't trust his precious person to understand. At least, not at the moment. Softly he let out a breath.

And changed directions.

"She was going to die anyways Zabuza san… so I decided to put her to use else where to help become a tool for –"

"Answer me. Haku." It came out strangely cold, making the boy's eyes widen and his lips purse for a moment as he stared at the man who's body was erect, at attention even and his eyes holding a scowl that sent a brief ghost of a chill up his spine.

He had suspected almost, that something like this would happen. That Zabuza wouldn't be pleased to know he was brought back that he hadn't originally survived. Loki had sought to it that the man should be at least somewhat educated on the matter and circumstances. But not all of them.

Leaving holes and questions with out answers.

Something Haku was forbidden by the god he now sought guardianship under. Anubis had expressed they were treading in dangerous waters once Loki was involved, and now he was seeing why. It would… be a hard hit to Zabuza for him to know the truth. It would be a hard hit to both he and his new ward to know that he had brought her in with the soul purpose of being a guardian of sorts for the man, and him in reverse.

That the ghost was not satisfied with the fact his master died _unhappy_ and _in regret_.

Haku managed another small smile and slowly shook his head, his innocence shining as he turned his head down towards the well as he heard a bang and saw her climbing up onto her own casket. The girl's mouth opening and something almost equivalent to a lion's roar coming from her as she yelled at her friends and family to stop crying. He then blinked as her eyes narrowed viciously and the water tinted red with her rage. Her voice ringing clear out of the water now.

_"I'm Coming Back! So Stop Yer Fuckin' Crying! Stop It Right Now! I'm Fucking Coming Back and I Won't Stand For You All Giving Any More Tears On My Account! Stop Crying! I'M. COMING. __**BACK**__!"_

He looked back towards his master to see his eyes concentrated down on the water, noticing the familiar glint of almost smugness but just as quickly it disappeared before he shut his eyes. Haku watched the water mist, before looking back towards the man.

He opened his mouth to say something, but a large tan hand shot forward, the mist nin's eyes widening as he was pushed head first into the water. Anubis grasped his ankle, and watched as the rest of his body fell into the well, seeing it stir before settling to it's misty wake again. Zabuza gone from sight and Haku felt a frown slowly take to his face.

The little ghost slowly looked towards the god that stared down knowingly, and then back at the water and let out a low sigh. Haku opening his mouth again now.

"Where is Loki sending them?"

Anubis blinked and then slowly looked back down towards the water and shut his eyes. For once, the man wasn't of any words. He simply allowed his shoulders to raise, and then fall. Causing Haku to feel oddly, annoyed.

Some gods did what they needed to, and let things take it's course. That was Anubis. Other gods, did things that they _wanted_ to, and did it regardless of the consequences.

That was Loki.

The ghost sighed and looked back down at the water, concentrating only for it to remain misty. He looked at Anubis who shook his head lightly.

"Not until they're reunited on the other side."

He felt the painful sting of those words all to clearly in his mind, that the god might as well have ripped apart his body.

* * *

Zabuza's eyes snapped open from where he laid on forest ground. His body was relatively healed except for the large scar on his chest, which he noted immediately. His breathing soft as he sat up and slowly looked down. Blood still coated various parts of his form.

Haku never answered his question.

That alone stung him in a way it really shouldn't have. His breathing low and eyes narrowed as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. Hand moving back to feel for his blade, surprised to find it back in place. His hand tightened and clenched onto it and his eyes shut. Anger and pain holding in his chest at the thought the boy couldn't tell him why, that he left the boy to a point where he had to have such a fate.

His eyes looked up towards the sky, eyes narrowing as it seemed normal before looking down at the bloody gash he left in the ground. His hand left his blade and he growled softly underneath his breath.

The air smelt different, almost dirty and seemed to burn his nostrils even. HE didn't quite understand as he allowed his feet to move him forward towards a metal bar that fenced part of a road with a black top and odd white strips moving down it.

He hopped it and then moved across it towards the next small fence before jumping it too. There was a break in the trees due to a ledge and he felt his body tense as he stared ahead at the large buildings that appeared in the distance. Smoke rising from some pipes and some, what seemed to be large animals moving swiftly across the black top roads behind him.

Where the hell was he?

* * *

**A/N: **Phweew! Finally got this chapter done. You have no idea how much I have been struggling with this. As stated before, the original plan I had as an idea for the cross over is completely thrown out. So I have a little bit of a plan for this one, but I am open to suggestions. (They're not in Naruto, let's get this straight now.) Anyways! Now that I finally have this bad boy up, and you've hopefully read it, go tell me whatcha thing, or don't, and I'll see you next chapter!


	22. Kicking It Old School

**A/N:** -Dances into the room – HELLO MY DARLINGS! I've been gone a while, and now I have returned. Because my junior year of college has started and I have been very busy, very busy indeed. (Can you believe I started this my freshmen year? Two years already, WOW!) Anyways! With out further ado and No More Waiting! Let's get this thing on the road!

**Thank you for reviewing to….**

**DeeaE: **Yes, yes he did. Because even if he's the "good god" in this situation, Anubis can still be a bit of a prick (For he pesters me).

**SerbiaTakesCntrl: **Well a cross over is still planned; it's just not the one I really thought about doing at first. So it won't be Bleach and it won't be Fullmetal Alchemist. I've decided to go back to my roots for this one. Oh, and the spitball session offer still stands. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you on the message for any ideas for "Just Like That," truthfully because of school I've been having difficulties thinking of any suggestions for you.

**theheartstourniquet: **I know! Isn't he vindictively so!

**Rinnala: **I almost wish it could, however with how the story was working out I honestly got bored of the ninja verse. So I felt it was time to expand or let the story die out. I'm glad thought you've found it to your liking, the results this story has gotten honestly even surprises me.

**Ember Nyx: **I must now go get a needle, for you have made my head swell quite a bit and I must deflate it. Thank you so much for the compliments, I'm glad you like the story!

* * *

**Disclaimer:** OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY ANIMES IN HERE! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi and any OC's that appear in this story. That's right, Kris, Chip, Heather, Daniel, Noah, and Jill, I own you all. –Runs away from mob now attempting to attack her for rights while cackling.-

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even Norse, if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**Kicking It Old School**

Zabuza Momochi let out a low breath as he moved into the cool water of a riverbed he had found once he had abandoned his spot on a hillside road. His eyes lidded with annoyance as he moved and began to wash the dried and crusting blood from his skin. His former irritation if anything bordering on irate behavior now.

This world was odd, and it smelt dirty… it felt interesting however. He could sense powerful sources out, chakra controlled and easy, however it felt wild at the same time. Almost as though… it were demonic. He looked up in thought as he removed the bandages from his mouth and then began to wash the blood that had gotten soaked with in them and underneath them off.

Dark brown eyes stared at the clear sky and watched as a bird flew over, letting out a shrill allowing him to take notice it was a falcon as well. He could sense the girl through their bond, but it was weak and it wasn't enough to find her. It at least allowed him to know that she was still alive, for now anyways… He was almost as displeased with her as he was with the fact that Haku hadn't told him what he asked.

That Haku hadn't allowed him to lie where he had died from the first place as well, the rage in him was rather harsh and scorching… however he allowed his thoughts to turn to the lesser of two evils and looked into the girl's deceit… even angry though, he could her reasons for being silent about it. Had she explained she had died to him once, he would have thought her mad and had little to do with her afterwards. He had no patience for the insane women, and he had met many.

However…. His eyes narrowed down at the water at his own reflection which he scowled with quietly at the new pink scar across his chest. _"I'm Coming Back! So Stop Yer Fuckin' Crying!" _The girl was vowing to defy the gods and pull death from her very core. His fingers came up to the scar on his chest and he then looked back up towards the water around him.

She had said nothing to him about dying before, she had mentioned no whisper of the fact she had loved ones at home, she had a pair of parents who were grieving over her. She had not burdened him with that knowledge, though even now he felt himself caring very little. Once she was able to talk, she still said nothing in fact, allowing herself to take on the role of his student as easily as putting on a well-suited glove.

He wondered why for a few moments and then shut his eyes. He could feel her even now, alive but hardly well. He had _failed_ her.

It caused a tightening in his chest and throat that he honestly loathed and growled softly at before slashing at the water with his hand. His body, clear of most blood with the exception of his hair becoming distorted before he dunked underneath the water.

_She's Mine. That's all._ Was the snap in his head before he came back up after scrubbing the blood from it's strands, feeling it hang down around his face. And that was all it was, she was his, and something of his become greatly damaged. In essence, his instincts and thoughts matched and confirmed this. However the fact of _how_ she died pulled at this mind.

_Well she isn't dead NOW moron, so go find her. _And he was going to do just that… he treaded his way out of the water now with a huff, pulling his blade onto his back and it's belt before allowing his hands to come together in a seal, pushing a little bit of chakra into the jutsu keeping her bound to him. For a moment, he got a pinpoint before feeling another chakra brush against his own. He ripped away immediately, drawing himself back in and hiding it. He sensed out for another quietly, hearing another approaching before he launched up into a tree, eyes staring down for a moment before spotting bright crimson hair.

He moved away before detection. He didn't want to be caught until he knew what the hell he was dealing with, particularly if the girl had gotten in trouble on her own again.

* * *

The sensation of a foreign power was creeping over his skin, pressing against his senses as he inhaled the air. A disturbance felt deep within his mind's eye of an intrusion. A metallic scent wafting into his nostrils, familiar to him and his body rippling at memories of his younger years. Wine red eyes slowly opened, drifting through the trees on their perch and a soft breath flowing from them, misted slightly by the coolness of the morning.

His eyes narrowed and underneath a white headband around his forehead and light purple glow appeared, feeling, stretching out for the new source that entered into the world known as ningenkai to his kind. His pupils shrinking at the feeling of the new source that was flowing violently but enclosed. Feeling a second one off in the distance that was much more active, part of it brushing against his own psych, informing them that their reiki was trained. It felt human though… vicious, but human.

He felt the fox far off though approaching it quickly, so he turned his focus back onto the less active one near _him_. His feet pushed, sending him soundlessly from the tree he had been standing on and moving for it. It didn't feel like it was moving, attempting to move away from him, or it was trained to sense him like the other one felt to be soon.

He stopped at the tree line of the forest he resided in for this temporary time, his 5' 3" stature still as he slowly crouched, a body laying just on the edge of the tree line, hidden by a group of bushes making him move over to the tree that stood above them. The form was still, breathing shallowly but still, brown crusted to various parts of it and the clothing on them ripped down to rags. Brown hair matted with blood and glasses speckled with it. Though their chest was falling and rising, the scent of death reeked on their form and bruises peppered their body where he could see through the blood.

It was obvious, to his disgust, the woman while toned and muscular in areas, had been through quite the beating. The foreign feeling of her reiki drawing in his curiosity, he couldn't grasp how much of it though expelled from the woman. He inhaled through his mouth, the scent of blood being faded out for a moment. He scowled silently. From what he could tell, the woman was human… a low breath took him as he would rather not associate with this sudden problem. In the distance he felt the fox reaching towards the other foreign source before feeling disappear. He growled softly to himself looking down. The other one now out of his feeling and range with out activating the jagan on his forehead, something that was usually impossible.

He scooped up the woman with a scowl, since that one was missing, he would make sure this one didn't get away from him then.

…..

Waking up to a pounding in your head that matches your body is not my exact definition of getting, a _good night's _sleep. My ears though were picking up things, people talking and warmth that I didn't quite understand pulling at my attention making my form more relaxed on whatever it was resting. I felt a hand moving over my forehead, almost like a cool compress. My body ached, and then there was a pain in my throat and I heard a yelp from above me.

Thin and familiar.

I was still wearing the damn collar.

**"Dialect English, translating to?"**

I honestly didn't want to respond. I didn't want to wake up, I didn't want to do anything. I just wanted to lay here and allow the pain that was moving through me to continue. Part of it I didn't know if it was mental or it was physical; it was slightly hard to tell. Parts of me didn't feel right, and I wasn't talking just with my body. Obviously it didn't work right, I was covered in bruises and being awake even hurt, my head still pounded, and and-

Another familiar soothing warmth moved into my neck.

**"Translating to?"**

Someone spoke again, and the translator began to whirl slowly. I heard the voices begin to smooth out and stop being garbled, an old woman's voice coming into my ears slowly and easily.

**"Resetting to former settings."**

Now that was new. The object died down and slowly, I finally forced my eyes to open, blurry at first and focusing on the less defined ceiling above me. A slow glare coming to me as I eyed it for a few moments and then reached down planting my hand to push my body up. Pain rushed through my arm making me grunt as my eyes widened.

"Your body's gone through the ringer." It was a woman's voice, grating slightly and holding a slight rasp but I forced myself to sit up anyways, the pain through my arm doubling before I lifted it and slowly forced it to move out from my body staring down at my lap where a blanket rested. I could feel two people next to me, the warmth from their body just felt slightly before I let my eyes slowly move over towards them. I clenched my hand, and then unclenched it, the pain reverberating up my shoulder before I let it fall quietly to my lap. It hurt, but I'd be able to use it soon enough. It just felt like when Zabuza first started training me…

I forced my eyes shut to block out the thought of it. _I'm alone again._ Slowly I exhaled after rubbing my face and looked slowly over towards the two that had been watching me quietly.

One was an old woman and the other was a girl sitting on the ground next to me, a slight worried look on her face. The old woman had short light faded pink hair, her eyes were brown, but piercing. I found myself zeroing in on them and then wincing for a few moments, it was like she was seeing through me… it was an uncomfortable feeling…

A timid voice came from beside me making my eyes immediately flick over to the girl sitting beside me. She had mint green hair and a very gentle demeanor… that was different from the norm I had come to be associated with.

"I healed what I could, there was a lot of damage…" She had red eyes, but having seen fish eyes on a blue man before, I ignored that fact. Looking down I took notice of my arms bandaged from the elbows down and much of my torso as well, mostly around my ribs. My feet as well as my ankles and shins. I reached up making sure my mouth wasn't bandaged to, the sting moving through me but alas, there was no ironic humor to come upon me. I let my eyes turn back to her.

"…Thank you." I managed out, my throat was raspy and still hurt making me wince and reach up rubbing it under the collar. The fucking collar while healing my throat made it hard to talk at first as it was. I shut my eyes for a few moments as being tired took over me for a moment or two before opening them.

"Where are you from kid?" The old woman's voice was stern, demanding, I felt lazy as my eyes became lidded and I looked over at her. Now there was a funny question. I could say I was two worlds away, I could say I was one. Technically I had come _from_ the Naruto world, and before _that_ I had come _from_ my own.

Which I would like to call reality, and yet here I was. Looking back ahead, and then back at her I winced again for a few moments before shaking my head silently and running a hand through my hair, I made a face, it was dirty and matted with blood.

"You can either tell me or I Can Get it Out of You." The last part of her sentence was said with much more authority than her last inquiry. I felt part of my body tense while another part of me cried it just wanted to go back to sleep.

So I decided to dissuade the old woman.

"Honestly…. I'm not to sure myself anymore." Well, I was, the clarity of where I came from exactly though was what was getting fuzzy. This world? Another? Were they all part of the same thing but different puzzle pieces? "We'll go with America though, that work?"

It just gave me a headache to think about. I had pondered the question before but nothing like this. I looked back down at my hands, palms up before looking slowly at the door ahead of me. Then let out a low breath through my nostrils.

"I've never heard of America."

My mind went still and I slowly looked towards her with a blank face. Hands limp for a few moments and breathing stopping. She was glaring me down before slowly taking one step towards me. A suspicious look on her face that made part of me tense inwardly as she felt… dangerous. I watched her eyes scathe over my form slowly, "You have the body of someone who keeps in shape, and not by the usual means, you have scars all over your body, looking like they're not very old, and you were clutching that…" Her head tilted towards the window ceil and my eyes flicked over towards the brown covered binding of my book, "When an acquaintance of mine brought you in. There is quite a bit of blood on it but I'm going to say it's safe to assume that it's from _you_."

Silence moved through room heavy and thick. My eyes flicking back over to the old hag I decided that was going to give me a harder time than I was already having.

"So who are you, and think on your answer, you're on thin ice kid."

So I tried to decide what to tell her. I felt my tired body ache while I did this, followed by the fact I could feel her eyes glaring into my side of head making me shut my eyes and fight back a soft groan. I scratched the back of my head to dissuade the need and then let out a low breath. She and the chick next to me, they were familiar I'd give them that. But it was like back in Naruto or what ever I was going to call it when I found Zabuza.

Again a chest pain appeared and I winced. However given the familiarity of that feeling, I would guess that this was probably another parallel universe or some crap like that that bastard Loki decided to chuck me into… so what the hell was I going to give to this broad to get her to leave me the hell alone?

….Well shit, the worst I could do was tell her the truth. So might as well start with that. If she didn't believe me, well then that was more her problem. It was exhausting keeping quiet from Zabuza once I got the tired, so this time around, maybe I would just try from the get go to keep things simple and make it so I didn't have to remember stories. Though the bastard didn't ask me much of where I came from.

I forced my mind off him again as I almost felt my eyes get itchy, I was tired and drained of any tears in me at the moment.

"Me…." I felt my throat work again, it didn't hurt as well as the first time, "Well, I'm Cassi." I then looked over at her with a lidded gaze, I then looked towards the girl beside me and raised a brow at her for a few moments and then back at the woman, "and it ain't just my body that's been through the ringer."

There was quiet for a few moments as I watched her and saw those brown eyes continue to stare me down. Honestly, those eyes were familiar to me for the simple fact of the gaze they held. Sizing me up, discerning my speech and figuring out the ins and outs of it, searching for doubts and hesitations in it.

Oh yeah, this lady might as well be a rogue shinobi with a look like that. I'd have to watch my ass; and pray she didn't have the sadistic sense of humor or quiet painful temper of one too.

"Speak correctly, you sound like a dimwit."

I almost sputtered at her reply before blinking. That had taken me off guard, I would admit, before slowly feeling a small smirk pull at my lips however. That was something I hadn't expected at all… slowly she turned from me though and grasped up a pipe from the window that was behind her, holding my book never the less before lighting it and taking a slow puff. A breeze informed me the window was open… without my glasses it was difficult to tell.

"Yukina, go make tea." The girl in front of me slowly nodded and then smiled lightly at the woman, getting up and leaving the room silently. I watched after her in her kimono for a few moments, and then let my eyes flick back to the old hag. Where had I heard that name before though? _Yukina… Yu-…Kina…_

I blinked a few times and looked down in thought as the name stuck out in my head and a light bulb began to flicker somewhere in the background. Now was not the time to be pondering this. It was better to figure out something like this when I wasn't under the stare of an old lady that looked like she was mentally ripping me apart. However I soon opened my mouth, "So who are you?"

"I am the guardian of this temple shrine." I blinked and looked at her, so I was in a shrine? "My name is Genkai."

_Genkai. Gen-Kai._

My mind began to work on it's own again in my silence.

_Kai…. Kai was the name of a god that taught Goku who to the use the Kayoken in Dragon Ball Z. His name was King Kai. Goku had to learn it to defeat the Saiyans Nappa and Vegeta that were coming from Earth. _I winced and scowled, why was this relevant? So the last part of her name was the same as King Kai but that didn't mean anything…. Did it? I grasped the train of thought again and let it move, shutting my eyes.

_The saiyans are a planet clearing race and sell off the planets in an almost economic monopoly, however the saiyans work for someone, Frieza, the son of King Cool._ The mind almost whiplashed though, King Cool didn't matter apparently, _Frieza has a voice, that almost sounds like a woman's, it's very grating to those that aren't accustomed to it, however further more, he sounds almost exactly the same to another character in another series._

….I felt a small smile reach my lips as I reached the conclusion. Sometimes I loved the obscure way my mind worked. One thing could be said and I usually could follow an entire trail of thoughts and land elsewhere, somewhere that seemingly didn't relate usually too.

_Genkai, from Yu Yu Hakusho._

I felt my mind immediately lock onto this thought and slowly open my eyes and looked back towards her after my brief epiphany frowned. By the steeling of her eyes, it didn't go unnoticed.

"Where are you from _really_ Cassi-san?"

I felt my lip quirk up, the knowledge of knowing where I was a rather large comfort to me, though in the back of my head, and in the bottom of my stomach, a terrifying thought came in mind. This woman was _psychic_ to the max, and deadly in so many ways. However, a tightening in my chest, which slowly pulled my mind to a rest oddly enough, assured me with the illusion that nothing was gong to happen.

Illusion being the key word, not that I cared oddly enough. My mind evidently, I took notice, took on the thought process that because I died twice, a third time honestly would matter very little. What little instinct Zabuza trained into me threw a fist into its face mentally and told it to "GTFO."

My "instincts" if that was what my laughable skills were told me to pay attention to the woman more so than ever. Grudgingly I listened and winced as the tensing of my shoulders caused a pain to jolt down my spine.

"I told you already. America."

"And I told you I've never heard of it."

I watched her eyes go lidded and her lips become a dot as I sighed and rubbed a hand over my face muttering, "Well then it sucks to be you."

"No one else has heard of it in this world either."

"Well maybe I ain't from your world lady!"

That shut her up and me too as a matter of fact. I watched her quirk an eyebrow quietly at me and I slowly let out a sigh and looked up at the ceiling.

_Way to go dumb ass. _I grumbled inwardly.

A mental image of the bastard that had been teaching me the past few months whacking me upside the back of the head with his hand passed through my mind.

The feeling in my chest worsened and the itchy feeling in my eyes turned hot as well making me slowly rub my nose as I felt it becoming congested. The memories I was struggling to keep back attempting to peek their heads into my brain.

_Why didn't he come?_ My hand clenched into a fist and I slammed it down on instinct. Pain rushed through my arm making my eyes shut tightly and teeth grit. I felt two tears move down my cheeks but I merely grimaced against them and focused on the burning through my hand.

Slowly I opened my eyes and allowed a low breath to follow me. I forced with it out my emotions for the moment, blocking them to gain a cool head that only occasionally I was capable of maintaining these days. Opening my eyes, I forced them to swivel over to the woman who was eying me up and down quietly. She seemed to catch on to my emotions, because while harsh and stern, her words were soft-spoken now. I suppose though with how old Genkai was, if I remembered right, it kind of made sense.

"…How did you get here?"

Well now wasn't that the tale of the century? It in fact made me grin a little bit as I felt a wild hare move through me before tilting my head with a low chuckle.

"Well to put it simply ma'am." I allowed a pause to attempt to try and word it correctly, try to make it as easy as possible to understand but after a few seconds...decided against it. Sometimes you just had to be blunt you know?

"I died."

Yup, didn't get much blunter or simpler than that.

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**A/N: **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA Okay, I finished this chapter! And if you haven't guessed what anime we're in well GO BACK AND READ! (It's clearly stated, no, really, it is) and as for the name of the chapter, well it can be explained kind of in my profile, I got my major start in a way with anime with this series. So now that I'm tired and have a headache, I'm gonna go do homework and go to bed. ALSO! Now that you have read, REVIEW! Let me know what you think, hit me up and drop a line. Until next chapter, Seeya!


	23. Dead Girls Don't Cry They Laugh

**A/N: **It would go to figure that in the beginning of my finals week, to procrastinate studying, I start a new chapter and update…. Well. Anyways!

Thank yous for reviewing go to….

**DeeaE****  
****SerbiaTakesCntrl****  
****Cloudy Momochi****  
****theheartstourniquet****  
****Eirdaru****  
****AkatsukiGirl1990****  
****PersiaZS0**

* * *

**Disclaimer:**OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY ANIMES IN HERE! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even perhaps Norse if I feel like it (just a hint, I felt like it), if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

**Dead Girls Don't Cry, They Laugh.**

I suppose the moment you tell someone you died, there's an expected reaction. Like when they tell you they're going to make a call, it just so happens to be the men in the white suits that are coming to take you away to the funny farm. So that's what I expected, not that I really cared at this point, but I mean, wouldn't you? It was only after Genkai walked away I found myself really caring though.

There wasn't much I could do if she called the people in the white suits… I mean after I was committed of course, how was I supposed to escape? I suppose if I really thought about it I could kick their asses with Zabuza's training.

The tightening in my chest and throat made me wince at the thought, before I concentrated at staring down at the floor. Then again, I could always try and make a break for it now. But if I was at Genkai's temple, from what I remembered right, there were demons all about in the woods. Also if there were _others… _well. I rubbed my face scowling and covering my mouth as Yukina came back with a tray, but paused at the door. She looked at me, and then around the room, before setting the tray down at the entrance, and then closing the door once it was it was inside. Did she think me a threat at the moment? I pondered it before looking at the ceiling and the quiet walls around me.

I suppose that was a possibility, as they no doubt found me covered in blood, bruises, and healed cuts. I too would have thought something was up with me… or questioned myself a zombie like I did with Zabuza when I first came across him… slowly I looked down again shutting my eyes and rubbing my sore knuckles. _Stop thinking about him Cass... he ain't here…_ It was just me on my own again. I then looked up at the door that was still shut. Without Genkai near by, I suspected Yukina wouldn't come near me. I heard light footsteps and stared at Genkai as she opened the door and looked at me again, she knelt and grasped up the tray before moving to her former spot on the floor, sitting across from me and then pouring her tea, taking a drink, and eying me quietly.

I didn't bother moving and she didn't bother talking. For a while it stayed like that and I was content to let it, staring with a lidded gaze before looking off to the side and then pulling the robe on my arm back, staring at the pale pink scars against my lightly tanned skin that was in my father's side of the family and my mother's Italian blood. The silence held letting my thoughts wander and move towards my family, seeing my mother and father crying again making me glare and clench my hands into fists.

_Calm down girl…_ I muttered to myself, before soon letting my fingers go lax and forcing them to relax with the weight of the muscles that released tension. I fell backwards and my head landed on the pillow as I stared at the ceiling, rubbing my eyes through my eyelids once shutting them. It surprised me when Genkai actually spoke and broke the awkward silence that was between us.

"That thing around your neck, it spoke when you were unconscious. What is it?" I looked down my body after lifting my head, staring at her as she gave me a bored look before letting my head fall back.

"A collar given to me by a god that has nothing better to do than interfere with my life." Complete honesty, oddly enough, sounded like lies on my tongue though I said it bluntly, plainly, and truthfully. "…It translates and allows me to speak your language. I don't really know Japanese." It relayed these facts to her and I listened to the silence that was her reply, before shutting my eyes, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Can you?"

_Smart ass._ I bit before staring annoyed at the ceiling, unmoving and breathing low before sitting up and my hands lying limp in my lap. I tilted my head staring at her then nodded, "I can, if I asked would you answer?"

She quirked a pale pink eyebrow at me and I found myself annoyed that she was looking at me like that. It was just _like_ Zabuza, and usually I got no answer out of him at all… I shoved the thought of the shinobi out of my head best I could, that stare still steeling right through me making me want to fling the pillow at her face. I wisely, in my opinion, thought better than to do just that though, staring for a moment at the blanket over my lap before yanking the cover back and pulling the bottom of the robe up. I stared at the bright pink scars that glared back at me for a moment, and then looked up with a deadpan look.

"…Do you believe me?"

Genkai stared and while shutting her eyes took a drink from her tea.

"_No_."

I watched her eyes open as I actually managed a soft laugh at that, "…I wouldn't believe me either." While she unfortunately did not join me in the laugh, I let myself fall backwards and grab the blanket, yanking them up to my hips giving another soft snicker rubbing my face. She didn't believe me, thus I was in the hot seat whether I wanted to be or not. She was scary, short, and knowing what she could do made it the worse… and she didn't believe me, which wasn't even the surprising part. I would have thrown myself in the nut house. I had believed stupider shit when I was younger, and was all the wiser from learning from that mistake. I let out a low breath before shutting my eyes and then rolling my neck before letting my head fall backwards.

Wasn't she supposed to have died? Or what time period was it? Or was Loki interfering again? I wouldn't know… it wasn't my business for the time being. It might be later, or it could be argued it was because she was here regardless, but really, as all I could do was lay here… well.

There wasn't much else to think about other than what I was keeping out of mind. Perhaps she called for help, or others. Really I didn't know, and I wouldn't know until what ever was going to happen, happened.

I drifted off not caring either way, as at this point whatever was going to happen, was going to happen whether I tried to interfere or not.

...

I woke up to the sound of voices outside the room, quiet and male, some deeper than others, and some light. I listened and looked towards the door, seeing nothing as it was still shut before slowly sitting up. My fingers moving through my hair in the process and eyes turning to the side. I noted my glasses, banged up a bit but still in tact beside me on the floor before picking them up and gently sliding them onto my face. Well that was good, I could at least see now, that was always a bonus. I let out a low breath and rubbed my face, hearing a silence beyond the door as the sound of it lingered. I felt bored and lazy. Had I been with my usual cranky companion… he would have kicked me up out of the sleeping mat by now, in fact, I'm pretty sure I would be drenched in sweat, ducking, bobbing, and weaving by this time, learning a grace that I didn't have before and ending with aching in every part of my body from acquiring said grace.

I shoved that out though and forced myself to lean forward, muscles hissing and protest making me wince as I grabbed my feet and tucked low, back protesting, shins, thighs, and feet stinging. I held though for 20 seconds before releasing and let my head rest against my knees before I pulled them up and hugged them to me. The quiet held beyond the door before I looked to see the tray was gone and so was the old woman. _Of course she is though, why should I expect any different?_ I suspected though that was who was speaking quietly, as I heard the hisses of whispers and curiously tried to eavesdrop.

Needless to say though, I was never really good at eavesdropping on purpose, so soon gave up, tracing a scar with a finger quietly. Once there had been a scar in the shape of a seven that had stuck out on my left arm from natural causes, my arm hitting a door, and then unnatural causes, when I took a knife to my own skin when I was younger out of curiosity on what the 'cutting' fashion was all about. It had been healing when I had last seen it, however now, it stuck out starkly against my skin, fresh, pink, and mildly piquing me.

_Fucking bastard… _What could make someone get a sick pleasure out of cutting me to death and bleeding me out? What the hell in my life did I ever really do to get the shitty end of a stick that was obviously pulled out from some pompous god's ass?

If it wasn't obvious, I was already in a sour mood from my current situation, however crying about it wasn't going to fix it… I suppose in retrospect, neither was bitching.

The door opened and pulled my attention from my spot on the floor. I paused, staring quietly and quirking a brow as in came…

Well. Him. Rather unwillingly too. As I spotted hands shove him.

But That was the only way I could describe it, _he_ came in. Many people in America called him a spirit detective. However me being well… me, and this being what I could assume safely to be a Japanesk universe… . They were probably referred to as the Reikai Tantei. Just as ninja in Naruto verse were referred to as shinobi and not ninja. In fact I remember distinctly being hit over the back of the head when I had muttered Zabuza was an 'angry ninja with people problems' when we had first started training… the memory though painful kind of made me want to laugh remembering his face. I scowled inside instead though staring quietly at the guy that entered.

I felt an edge move through me though as I took in the stare that was critically eying me, and me him equally. I had learned a thing or two over the months, including catching openings, as well as development in training in the process of it all. Needless to say, there were no openings in this guy, his stance was guarded, I knew his name, not that I was going to tell him though.

Saying it at this point could very well get my head taken off, so it would probably be better not to, and let him go first with the whole talking thing. I wasn't going to initiate and risk instigating anything. If he began talking to me and I answered his questions, well he couldn't very well get mad at me for it… that was what I would _like_ to think. I had been proven wrong before for less stupid crap however. Though I didn't know whether or not to think this idiotic or not yet, I guess I would have to just go through the motions and – _whoa, why is he coming near me?_

He moved and then sat next to me with a simple neutral expression, he had relatively fair peach skin and his eyes were brown. His hair was orange and sat forward on his head in a makeshift Elvis look, and he definitely had a strong jaw. He sat meditatively and his hands in his lap, wearing a white button up and a pair of jeans while I kept my own hand at my sides. He stared at me with a half mast gaze before leaning back and crossing his arms. I refused to speak first, and I couldn't help but look immediately back, feeling tensed and awkward. Honestly I would rather be staring at _Kisame_ for two hours straight than this guy staring at me. He wasn't bad; he was a good guy, and well… I wasn't used to _good_ guys anymore. Zabuza was jaded and grumpy at best, not to mention he had a sour temper and –

_STOP. EFFING. THINKING. ABOUT. HIM._

Carrot top spoke distracting me from my own thoughts thankfully. His voice was low and it held a rasp to it, it almost bordered on grating, but I merely winced and listened, "Genkai-sama says you told her you died." He leaned back crossing his arms, "…Do you have any family?" I slowly shook my head; my mind bringing up my friends and family, all around that damn casket holding my pretty corpse in comparison to the mess I was now… however now I was alive again. I didn't know how, and I didn't know why… but I also didn't see a reason to care on the how or why. "She said you were from… Ameerika?" I winced and leaned lightly away from him at the butchering of the damn country's name.

"America." I corrected lightly, and he repeated before I gave a nod as he said it a bit better.

"…We looked at maps and we couldn't find it." I let out a breath and slowly looked back ahead at my feet underneath the covers, it was in the maps in the show, why wasn't it here on the map now? "Was it in this world you died?" My eyes narrowed and I immediately looked at him, before I felt my jaw tense as I looked back down.

"No." I felt as though I was signing my own death sentence as his eyes narrowed. Then he let out a breath.

"Where did you die?"

"Which time?"

He stiffened at that and I leaned back calmly, if I could focus just on this one, the one in front of me, then I could ignore the heat on the back of my neck, the feeling of tension that was through me, and the fear that made my head heat up looking back calmly and fighting back the want to let that fear get the best of me. I hadn't learned how to hold it back for nothing after all.

I then inhaled though and stated in a low murmur, "The first time was at my university. I was hit by a bus." The flashing lights moved through my mind and I rubbed my face, holding my hand over my mouth, then exhaled, "The second time was in the place I woke up after getting hit, in the woods…" I then looked at him, "If I'm lucky, the third time will be here, if a third time comes about. Each time I die though I end up somewhere _new_. Kinda morbidly humorous if you think about it." I rubbed my eyes giving a weak laugh.

"…How did you die the second time?" His voice as quiet, were those tones of thoughtfulness I heard? Or pity? Or suspicion? I looked at him, and felt a feral grin pull to my lips, a laugh on the edge of my voice as the heat of the fear pulled at me, it made my body feel oddly enough cold and I held a laugh from hysteria down in my throat, before I looked down clutching to myself to try and keep control.

"I was cut until I bled out. Then I didn't bleed any more."

Perhaps I was being too honest, but I didn't care at this point. Telling the truth was the only fallback I had now, and I was too tired to hold up a lie mentally. It had turned out for nothing as it was, being the simple _foreign girl_ that had a bit of a hat trick had kept me around Zabuza, but it was horrid trying to hide the fact I knew he could do certain things, I knew where he came from, I knew everything of him that could be known.

If it came down to it, I suppose I would also have to do that here, but I really didn't want to. In fact I kind of hoped that wasn't the case, But as I didn't know how old Kazuma Kuwabara in front of me was, thus the place in the story line, there was no way to tell. So I asked him.

"How old are you and what's your name?" When he made a funny face, I wagged my hands back and forth with a sigh in defense, "I can't very well call you 'hey you' now can I?" He relaxed a little from the tensed position my question had given him before he gave an answer.

"Kuwabara, Kazuma. I'm 16." I paused and stared.

_Shit._ I winced and then looked back ahead with a low breath rubbing my face. That was troublesome. That age rang as a danger zone to me, though I couldn't particularly say why. I kept the worry off my face and blinked as he asked me in return the same question making me almost glower at him.

"It's rude to ask a woman."

"…" He stared for a few moments with a quirked brow and a scowl before then I sighed and gave in.

"Cassi, 18."

"…You're older than me?" He looked me up and down almost disbelieving. I didn't know whether to take it as an insult or a compliment. In most anime and manga, people never looked their age. I remembered having issues with that from the get go. Kuwabara looked like he was bordering 19 rather than 14, the rest of the Reikai Tantei always looked so young, and Genkai looked in her 50s, not older. To hell with the demons as well, as that was just annoying, they looked _way_ too young in comparison to their actual age. Everything was reversed. The young looked old, the old looked young, and babies ruled, quite literally.

"It appears so." I actually let humor though come into my mind at this and my fingers interlaced on my lap as I gave a soft chuckle, "two years your senior by the sound of it." I then faced ahead though I still looked at him in the corner of my eye, "You look older though."

"Hey! No way!" Ah now there was a side I knew of from the anime. I actually winked while sticking out my tongue with a snicker at him. It was better to taunt and tease him than to get caught up in the situation, if I could use humor to my advantage to diffuse the situation, then perhaps I could ride this out. The awkwardness and tension from it all was close too much to handle for me really. So I gave him the response that just felt natural to say.

"Yes way, youngin'."

* * *

Zabuza sat in a tree a few meters inside the tree line, staring out quietly with a narrowed gaze and his blade on his back; body still as he leaned against the base of the thick trunk of the tree watching a small temple. He felt her awake, alive, and through his bind, her emotions that were struggling to remain check, but some unable to hold themselves down. Some gaining more prominence than the others; his eyes narrowed as amusement held one, and fear stood right beside it. He had witnessed her laughing fits in fear, but then again he had witnessed many stages of fear from her, going as far as wetting herself.

That had been a _fun _day. Glowering he looked off towards the side and then lifted, taking off backwards through the trees, deeper into them out of risk of the odd demon chakra he had felt earlier scathing over him again. He had felt it lightly, and noticed it all too well, staying away from it and studying from a distance. His breathing was low and silent as he moved away from the temple for higher ground to keep it in sight.

It was too close to _her_ for him to be comfortable with it, and he didn't like it. He didn't know how much damage she had retained, or if she was just covered in aches and bruises from the entire thing. No doubt the exhaustion as well, though she felt active enough for her emotions to be fighting with her. He could easily pull her to him, however that would bring others that might follow her, and he didn't know these others, or this land they were in. He landed on a branch and looked out. His gaze moved over the trees quietly spotting in the distance the smoke and structures that attracted his attention. He winced, looking to the side at the temple in debate.

With a sigh he pulled his fingers together. A kata pulling his concentration as he opened a flask on his hip he used at the river he bathed in earlier. The water came out and quietly he mumbled the release, the mizu bushin staring at him once a little bit of smoke clear. He glanced at it and tilted his head towards the smoke and structures. No doubt there would be a population to interrogate on the matter of where they were. First however, he would send it off to gather information while he would monitor things here.

Hopefully the flare would go unnoticed, though with that demonic presence he had his doubts. Zabuza cleared the area he was in though quickly never the less keeping the temple in sight.

* * *

Kuwabara immediately silenced from the joking manner we had managed to fall into; a comfortable thing. He looked off with a scowl, I blinked and followed gaze wondering quietly. He looked serious before his gaze turned back towards me, my own becoming lidded instantly as tension rose again.

"Cassi-san, did you come here alone?" I paused, staring for a few moments and then looked at the floor as a sobering feeling came over me. Zabuza never showed up, so to my knowledge, I could neither confirm or deny if Loki went after him. I slowly frowned looking up.

"I was with someone before I came here… but I don't know if they came or not. It wasn't exactly my call…" I winced and shook my head, "So I couldn't tell you either way. I didn't precisely choose to die, and he was away when it all went down." Now that hurt to say, but I managed to keep the lump rising in my throat down. Usually I would be able to shake it off, or move on, but… it was… It hurt too much really. As whiny and annoying as it was, I couldn't drop the fact it happened, perhaps that was because for me, it felt like it just happened hours ago.

I breathed out as he slowly nodded seeming to accept my answer before looking behind him and towards the door, and then looked back forward at me. "…I'm going to go and talk with my friends. You feel like a well enough person, and you're not lying from what I can tell."

I quirked a brow at this and tilted my head, "…from what you feel and tell?" Moving through the paces couldn't hurt at least, as I didn't want to give anything that I might know away. However all at the same time, if someone checked me mentally… it wouldn't matter one way or another would it. He however nodded getting to his feet.

"Genkai-sama said you claimed a god gave you that collar." I let out a breath before slowly nodding, and then shutting my eyes, "What god?"

Knowingly I rubbed my face, and then slowly shook my head, "Not one you would be familiar with." He thought about it for a few moments, and then gave a slow nod with a look saying at least to me he was thinking. Attempting to read people's facial expressions though had never been my strong point.

I let him eye me a bit longer before he murmured simply enough, "I can tell when someone is lying, and I can tell usually what they're feeling. I'm psychic like that. At least to your knowledge you're not lying to me… but I can still feel you're keeping something from me. You feel alright, Cassi-san, not like a bad guy or anything like that. So I'm going to go now, and talk to the guys about this…"

'The guys?' Oh shit, the rest of them were here too? _Great…_ thankfully because of his tone though, the words didn't have to be said on what he really meant to say after that, _"but don't think I trust you."_

"I'll be back in a bit."

As he exited I let myself flop backwards onto the sleeping mat beneath me and stare upwards; mind racing and attempting to figure out what the hell I was going to say when someone like Yusuke Urameshi, or Hiei Jaganshi, or Shuichi Kurama came through those doors, that didn't have the gentle nature, or morals, like Kuwabara did.

I suppose I would have to just grit my teeth and bare it. That was okay though.

I was getting good at that.

* * *

**A/N: **Rather happy with how this turned out, giving everything and how long it's been. As I said, this is right before my finals this time around, but hopefully I'll be able to update again in the next week or so. But until then, review, drop a line, and let me know what you thought!


	24. Well That Escalated Quickly

**A/N: **Thank you to all of those who have reviewed up until now. It has taken a while. But I finally managed to get another Wrong Shirt chapter out!

**Disclaimer: **OKAY! I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY ANIMES IN HERE! Are we good? We're good! But for the sake of the argument, I do own Cassi.

**Warning: **This fic holds bits of polytheism and paganism, as well as a mixture of Greek, and Egyptian gods and goddesses, and even perhaps Norse if I feel like it (just a hint, I felt like it), if you do not like it, do not read. You have been forewarned.

* * *

"**Well… That Escalated Quickly."**

* * *

_Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock._

There is nothing more annoying than awaiting your own demise, or at least what _felt like_ my demise, to the sound of a ticking clock. Thinking back on it, I had once found comfort in the sound. My best friend Heather, someone that was incredibly close to me back before the first death had occurred, had gifted me with a green clock she had painted all our anime favorite characters on.

I'll admit that though the green and gold I wasn't very fond of, moreso the green as I had never been one for the color green, the clock in whole I had come to adore. Heather's side had consisted of Kakuzu from Naruto, another Akatsuki member like Kisame. Havok from Fullmetal Alchemist, Alucard from Hellsing, herself at the noon point, and…

I grimaced, attempting to remember before soon sighing then shaking my head and giving up on the task.

For my own side, she had painted myself at the six o'clock point in a Disney-esk cartoonish form, including my blue hair I had back then. Along with this, she included my characters, which were Kisame, Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez from Bleach, Greed from Fullmetal Alchemist, Father Alexander Anderson from Hellsing, and…

I groaned, now trying to recall the last of my own before giving another soft sigh. Anything to distract me from that blasted sound that was causing a pulsing through my head, similar to the pounding one received when they gained an obnoxious headache causing a growl as I rubbed at my face. It was a sound of time that told me it was passing slowly, and each second that ticked off was a bit more of what salvaged bit of a spark of life I contained diminishing.

Quietly I paused and tilted my head, actually liking that line quite a bit and making a mental note to save it later for when I wrote a book on this entire disaster that had become my life. Staring down at the blanket at my lap, the bandages on my arms, and managing to subdue the ticking clock into the background of my thoughts, I let my shoulders and head slump before snapping my neck to the left, and then the right, the sounds of cracking sounded like a zipper as each vertebrae in my neck gave a pop before I hissed and rubbed the back of it. If Mordicus was still around, he would have told me I was being melodramatic, as well as over exaggerating the danger I was in for the time being, which might be avoided if I just shut my mouth, and kept to the 'no idea' what happened story.

But then he would have pointed out how I screwed that up by telling Genkai I was double dead in the first place.

_What the hell am I going to do when they get in here? "Hi, name's Cass, just thought you should know I'm from a dimension where you're all…. Or were characters to me, and I died not once, but twice. Before I was here, I was in another dimension where I was with a man I also thought was a character. I saved his life and he took care of me in return. But he upped and disappear on me while the god of Mischief, who you're all not familiar with, also from my dimension, came and 'offed' me for the helluvit because… well, he's the god damn god of Mischiefs, so really, he did it because he could! But anyways…."_

"_Pleased to meet you!"_

There, maybe if I just said it right like that. That way the red haired fox fuck that was no doubt going to come from that bloody door could knock my happy ass out, and send me right to the loony bin! I bet I could rock a straight jacket better than any other woman in an insane asylum, bring it! I would fully take on that challenge.

_Now he doesn't deserve to be called a fox fuck, we haven't even met him yet… _My mind muttered, that thing that I could safely called what remained of my conscious making me squirm internally and then glower while silently snarling, _Shut up I'm in a bad mood._

It appeared that I was not going to be able to wipe Zabuza from my mind or block him out. So promptly and with another frustrated growl I fell backwards against the confines of my futon and pillow giving up on the matter all together of blocking him out while shutting my eyes and huffing out air from my nose. Whatever meeting that I ran into next, oh I was sure it was going to go just _smashingly. _Meaning my head was probably gonna be hitting something before the entire talk was through, and I was going to _piss_ someone off, one way or another, without even meaning to.

Like I said, _smashingly_.

Being in a bad mood and silenced, always put me in a worse thought process than I probably should be for that time of the occurrence of silence. But the thing was, silence didn't scare me, it unnerved me. It made me worry because silence was always like the calm before the storm, and sometimes I couldn't tell if I was going to be dealing with a hurricane, or an air mass thunderstorm. Usually at the end of silence, was relief, and as I stared at the door, part of me didn't want it to open at all as my anxiety was quickly shooting upwards.

The other part of me just wanted Kuwabara and Genkai with the other three whom I was _supposed_ to be absolutely clueless about, and had never met to come back. Just to get the entire ordeal over with.

The lyrics from the third Aladdin movie _King of Thieves_, complete with the villain's voice began to sing, _"Are You In or Out,"_ in the back of my head. Clearly I was now squandering what focus that had been drilled soundly into my head by Zabuza himself on things other than the situation at hand, or rather _where it should be._The emotional and mental wreckage that had been done to my head by himself and Loki, I noted mentally, had clearly knocked me on my metaphysical ass and into the next town over.

_Perhaps I should psychoanalyze myself more often when I have spare moments._ I looked at the ceiling and glowered for a few moments before reaching up while shutting my eyes, rubbing at them through my lids and letting out a low groan. _Then again, I act plenty insane already without trying to figure my own head out, even I'm having trouble believing half the crap I would have to tell these guys to make this shit make sense. _Rolling onto my stomach I buried my head into the pillow despite the pain it caused in the rest of my body. The warmth of the clothes and the comforter combined with the comforting weight of it all on my back was starting to pull at me forcing me to relax. Shutting my eyes, I tried to let the silence drip down into my mind that the room supplied. Maybe it would help me think better at the task that was to come. I also simultaneously tried to block out the sound of that annoying ticking clock in the corner of the room on the wall as well…

_Tick… Tock… Tick… Tock…_

It wasn't working.

Slowly I pulled myself up hissing through gritted teeth, forcing myself to ignore as body protested. God I was _sore._ Stumbling towards the lock, then falling lightly against the wall for support, I looked up and reached, my fingers meeting the bottom of it before I then shoved up in a hop that hurt _way_ more than it should have, to knock it off the nail peg it was hanging from. It fell directly down into my hand as it bobbed once to get it lose. I let my legs give and fell down with as much grace as I could onto the corner for the floor sitting cross-legged. My knees stung at the mere effort, the clock ticking continuing though now muffled by the fact it was face down in my lap.

Finding the battery in the back, I yanked it out and the quiet of the room hit me instead. My eyes shut in relief as I fell back against the wall; clock cradled between my thighs and stomach as I pulled my knees to my chest and let my arms fall uselessly by my sides, "Thank god…"

_Maybe it should be gods, not god._ I grumbled, before growling softly to myself and lifting a heavy hand to my face to rub it out of irritation and then drag it through my hair. My head had never learned to shut the hell up since I was little, and it wasn't about to start to learn now when I would greatly welcome that peace it could offer me. But oddly enough, that was okay with me. I opened my eyes, wincing at the mat floor below me, and then the amount of space I had crossed to get back to the wall from my futon. _At least something hasn't changed._

It didn't take a genius though to figure out that I wasn't moving currently, so I shifted and got comfortable. Mentally trying to will the pillow to fly to me for my back and its' point against the hard wall. Unsurprisingly, it made no stirring at all to come at my whim, and thus it was not coming to me at all. My laziness prevailed and I quickly decided that I could go without it while my head rested propped up against the wall instead.

…My peace was short unfortunately enough, as eventually the door did open. Lazily I opened an eye and stared for a few moments out of it with a lidded, bored gaze, before my attention was immediately grasped.

There they were. Renkai Tentai.

I instantly regretted not moving back to the futon, but at the same time took comfort that there was a corner, two walls behind me, instead of all five of them surrounding me. Briefly I wondered if my hand had enough strength to blast through the wall behind me, and my finger gently tapping it as my arm had moved up told me, 'yeaaaaaaaaaa- no, that isn't gonna happen sweetheart.'

_Ahh Christ, if this is my reaction before they talk_… I began to my beating heart, _what the hell is gonna happen when they start to ask questions? Spontaneous Combustion? _Hey, ya know, that might actually have been pretty funny to watch, myself squawking, arms flapping, and then whoooosh! Up in flames…

I had to bite the inside of my cheek to prevent this picture that only invoked my hysteria from making me laugh. My eyes wincing and I felt as my face was contorting into an awkward expression that helped to keep back the bubbles of giggles that wanted to exit me like a loon. _Beep beep! Crazy mobile coming to get yoooou!_

That was what I always did when afraid, I always laughed… Or that was how it _used_ to be. With Zabuza the only thing that had really been scary to be around had really been well… him. Kisame too I guess, whenever he decided to show up for whatever reason. And that had only lasted a few months, as Zabuza's intimidation tactics had changed when I was with him… he would hold a little less back in sparring matches, physically beat me, and all the while calling it 'training' instead.

Grudging bastard.

That successfully took the laughter right out of me and gave me time to look up at the people surrounding me. One was Genkai, the other was Kuwabara who had a wincing stare on his face. Now for the other three…

First off, let me tell you how _wrong_ the anime was. It's not like they were ugly or anything. There was just a touch of… realism in the picture now. Yusuke's hair no longer looked mostly like it was pasted to his head, it was more of gently slicked back, an easy swish with it. His face was defined for someone who was 16, and the thug life glare I was getting in the process from those chocolate brown eyes made the hair on the back of my neck stand up slowly. That look didn't make me necessarily feel fine… At most though it didn't make my stomach drop like dark brown glaring eyes, filled with cold and killing lust did. This was still a kid after all, a kid with an attitude problem, but still a kid none the less.

He crossed his arms though, donning a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt for the moment. I simply looked him up and down, then quirked a brow of my own at that face. Cornered or not, I felt my shoulders square and a simple glare that described my mood all to perfectly currently.

It was thankfully him who broke our glare off with a question, "You got a problem?" I felt my eyebrows rise as high as they could go. I then felt almost like maybe copping an attitude first thing, might work in my favor. I contemplated it for a little bit, looking at the other faces that were watching me with just as much indifference, except Kuwabara… he looked damn near nervous.

What was that about? My eyebrows lowered as I scrutinized him, seeing him look bad and down, and then back at Yusuke as he yanked my attention back growling out, "Hey! You gonna answer me?"

"…No." I finally grunted after letting a simple breath, "I got plenty of problems, not a single one with you."

"Oh yeah, the apparent dying twice thing?" I felt a mental pause, and then shut my eyes as a want to scream hit in my chest, followed by a simple, gentle shove in my mind to lock those raging emotions up. Inhaling, and gulping it down, and then exhaling, I let my eyes open before looking up from my spot on the floor resting my hands in my lap.

"That would be a _start._" My lips pulled into a snarl, "_You_ got a problem?" Now he knelt and I simply scowled, watching as he leaned forward and continued that glare. I leaned back but continued scowling.

"Yeah. You show up out of nowhere, covered in blood, with a strange ass book." His wrists rested on his knees and he remained in his squatting position, "And you got a weird feeling too, then you wake up and tell the old hag you died. And then you tell Kuwabara you died _twice_." He held up a finger, "Sounds to me like you're spinning tales, why don't you tell us what really happened? And what the hell is-" He pointed at my collar making my hand drift to it on instinct quietly, "That? You're giving us a lot of questions lady and I don't particularly like it when someone just magically shows up with no answers."

_Well aren't you just pleasant?_ I growled slightly in my head and continued a wincing glare at him, cornered, but keeping my body as it was. I exhaled with a huff out of my nose while eyeing him with a glare before finding red's hand planted on his shoulder. I after all, wasn't supposed to know how these people were… Yusuke's eyes turned up before Shuichi's mouth opened, "I apologize… perhaps we should introduce ourselves."

"Don't bother."

Now it wasn't me who said this. Eyes turned immediately to the side, to the fire demon with red eyes and black hair, the starburst he had of white causing flits through his hair. His hand was rested gently on the katana on his hip, and those eyes were narrowed down onto me, an almost bored face holding on him while my hair on the back of my neck rose back up again.

"She already knows who we are. She has since the old woman told her, her name." My eyes whipped to that white headband around his forehead on instinct, seeing the distinct fading of a glow before slowly looking back onto his face. My front was grabbed and a yelp shot from Kuwabara, mostly on a yell of; "URAMESHI," as I was yanked to my feet and the wall met my back. The collar of the robe I wore around me taking me off the ground. I forgot he got tall from the short 14 year old he had been.

"Alright Who Sent You?" Spit flew from his mouth onto my face making me grimace. This was not what I called a successful recuperation. The fact my mind was read so quickly took me off guard though, and I found my voice had up and left me. So my mouth opened and closed a few times, before I soon snapped it shut and had to grunt as he repeated the question with a shake this time.

_What the hell do I say? _That glare that was burning into me wasn't making me freeze up, well, not only it. But it was everything else. It was the death, it was the funeral, it was the fact Yusuke Urameshi was yelling at me, the fact Zabuza Momochi was gone from my life, what the hell was going on?

There was no smart ass in my head to direct me either, so I forced the breath that was coming in short pants to slow and my eyes shut trying to get a grasp on what was going through my head. Why the hell couldn't I get a grasp? It wasn't that easy anymore. I couldn't pretend like things were alright when nothing was, but this question. Who sent me? I gritted my teeth looking down, who the hell _did_ send me? Loki maybe? Death? There were so many fucking answers that weren't graspable so I went with what felt right.

"H-his name is Loki." I found it soon coming out of my mouth and a gulp to regain my voice came, my hands remaining on his wrists as they clenched my robe collar before I soon felt the emotions fall to my stomach and my head stop spinning, "And he cut me up and killed me, and I woke up here."

"Don't' lie lady." Of course not, lying would be stupid. So I finally gave a snarl of frustration and I felt it come back up and dug my nails into his wrists seeing his eyes narrow down on them.

I wasn't lying to anyone and I hadn't of done so yet! I bared my teeth with a growl. "I haven't lied since I woke up. And you're not worth what little energy it would take me to figure out a decent enough one! Now Put Me The Hell Down!" I moved to kick him but he jerked out of the way before slamming back up against the wall. I laid against it now panting, glaring murderously.

"I don't believe you. Now let's try this again. Who. Sent. You?" His voice was low making me cringe. Low was dangerous. Zabuza always got quiet when he was gonna really lay on the hurt. It made me tense instinctively and my blood drain from my face, but my heart start to slow. My jaw set and I looked slowly down at the hands keeping me off the floor. Well…

"She's going to slip the robe if you don't let her down, Detective."

For one of my favorite characters, Hiei Jaganshi was seriously about to take a fist to the face, mostly with muddled, turmoil filled thoughts behind it, accompanied with a scream if I wasn't able to get a grip on myself. Slowly I allowed myself to glower over towards him, seeing that blank aloof face.

I then looked at Yusuke who then paused and looked down, then up and smirked, "I dare her."

I raised an eyebrow at him for that. Now partially calmed by the absolute ridiculous of it all mostly. I soon looked up, around and sighed. The arms shot up, I felt my chin lift and tuck, and the floor met my feet quickly. I let out a grunt as the shock took me to my knees.

"…Whoa…" It was mostly Kuwabara who murmured it as I stood up shakily, using the wall. Thankfully there were boxers around me, and bandages where the cuts had been. This included the chest too, though I didn't know if it was for modesty or not. Choosing the wise decision not to care, I yanked the robe from his grasp, and then shoved it back on before shoving Yusuke with his stunned face back. I stumbled my way back to the futon, and fell on top of it before rolling over, and forcing myself to sit up with a grimace as everything hurt somewhere now. I stared at my lap for a moment, and then let out a breath.

"One more chance lady." Yusuke's voice was easy and I watched as he had turned to me and his arms were crossed once again. "No lies. Who sent you? We might be able to protect you from them, or we might have to ice you on the spot. Either way, we can do this easily, or painfully."

I opened my mouth to answer, but really what could I say? I tried to think, rather hard on it too before I found I had nothing. They wouldn't believe what I said… not without some validation after all. I then paused at this and felt my hands come to my face as I hid it within them.

Why couldn't Hiei just read my damn mind? He had already displayed he had no problem doing it. I actually peeked over my fingers to look at him, to see him glowering at me now quietly, causing me to flinch in surprise before soon looking down. I glanced to the side and frowned. Perhaps he was pissed because of everything I knew? Well I had already been pinned to a wall, so I suppose that was at least out of the way…

I then looked up and let out a breath.

"I'm double dead. And frankly, I don't give two shits if you believe it or not." He blinked at me and I shook my head, "You want to know who sent me? Fine, a bratty god did, after he killed me, and then threw me down here to do who knows what." I gave a wry smile, filled with loathing, "I don't know what he wants, I don't know why you found me, I don't know what the fuck he expects from me, nor do I know why I'm even saddled in this damn mess to begin with."

As he opened his mouth, I then snapped, "I'm tired, I don't feel like lying just to make you have some story you feel is plausible! I was brutally fucking butchered maybe…" I glowered at the clock that I had stopped, and then back, "Six or seven hours ago, and then I witnessed my own fucking funeral from my first death. So that being said!" I let my hands fall down into my pockets, "If you have an issue with my story, Urameshi, Yusuke, or even you Miss Genkai." I glared at Genkai as she quirked a brow, "understand now that I don't care. You want a validation." I found my hand lifting and pointing at Hiei, seeing the death glare that came and his lip pull into snarl.

"Him with the fucking Jagan can be the "validator." Since he's the one who decided he'd share with the class that I have certain knowledge but left out the fact I'm telling the damn truth."

Now. Being in a bad moon for anyone, and talking to someone like this, that can kick your ass, is stupid. Doing so with someone that had a demon eye, which could seep down into your head, and then scramble your brains. Probably made it doubly so. Either way, as a hand slammed down onto my head, and then Mr. Black and Gloomy yanked off his headband, I found I didn't care as I watched as that odd third eye snapped open before pain blossomed forward.

Thankfully a ringing in my ears, and a bright light of white blocked out my senses, letting me pass out rather quickly than experience any more pain than what I was dealing with now.

As it stood though, as I explained to Yusuke so easily, I was already double dead anyways.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah ha! I got it done at last! Next chapter…. HIEI (and yes, Zabuza will be showing up again. I would not be as mean as to separate a dynamic I have worked up until now to build. I'm not that mean! He's not getting much appearance in this chapter because… well… you'll see). Hopefully Cassi can get things settled with the Yu Yu gang as it is. But really, one can't just say, "I KNOW YOU ALREADY," and expect things to be calm. So yup yup. Off we go to do work and continue our lives... until next chapter. Lemme know what you think!


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